Veterans

I am dedicated to helping our veterans. This is not a partisan situation. A country that commits its people to war must be prepared to take care of them once they come home. Idaho has more than 120,000 veterans -- about 10.4% of our adult population. We must ensure that they - and veterans across the country - receive the necessary physical and mental care, on-time and in-full benefits, and quick answers to their questions and concerns.

I am in frequent contact with Idaho veterans to gauge the impact of different policies being considered by Congress and the Administration. I rely on this feedback to best represent Idaho’s First District, and I encourage all veterans and their families to reach out to our office with questions, comments, or concerns.

Below is a list of specific initiatives, bills, and letters I have supported in Congress to support our veterans. Click on the links or contact my office for additional information.

• Amendment to H.R. 3055: To provide additional beds in rural VA facilities providing long-term care to veterans, many times treating mental health issues. 

• PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (H.R.4305): Implements a pilot program to improve veteran mental health through training service dogs for veterans with disabilities.

• Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act (H.R.1605): To create an opt-in for military families to establish Military Education Savings Accounts to help fund their children’s education and expand access to high-quality educational experiences.

• National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act (H.R.1830): To create coins emblematic of National Purple Heart Hall of Fame and prescribe surcharges for the coins to be distributed to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc.

• ACT for Veterans Act (H.R. 2493): To give veterans 96 hours to notify the VA that he or she received emergency care at a non-VA facility.

• Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act (H.R.499): To enable the surviving spouse of a service-disabled veteran small business owner to retain priority of the business upon death of the veteran spouse. 

• Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act (H.R. 3537): To provide entrepreneurship training to veterans and active military through the SBA Boots to Business program. 

• Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (H.R.299): To compensate Vietnam and some Korea veterans that served in oceans adjacent to the theater of operations during these wars and were exposed to Agent Orange and related herbicides and chemicals.

• Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act (H.R. 1381): To allow family members of deceased servicemembers and veterans to enter the cause of death in the burn pit registry. Currently, only registered individuals are allowed to update the cause of death information. This bill will ensure that the VA has accurate service-related death data for our veterans which enables improved prevention, compensation, and identification patterns.

My office is here to help veterans navigate complex federal government bureaucracies — including the Department of Veterans Affairs. In Idaho's First District, there are five VA facilities (Sandpoint, Caldwell, Grangeville, Lewiston, Coeur d’Alene), and the VA hospital in Boise serves many veterans in our district. If you run into any issues while working with the VA or tracking down your military records or medals, or any other issues with a federal agency, my office is here to go to bat for you.

We have also partnered with the Library of Congress for the Veterans History Project. This project allows our veterans to record their story and have their mementos preserved for future generations to learn from their experiences. If you would like to have your story recorded, please reach out to our office.