Veterans
One of my biggest priorities in Congress is making sure we provide our veterans, reserve, Guard and active duty military with the care they deserve when they return home.
Since taking office in 2007, I have worked with my colleagues to increase funding for veteran’s health by more than 50%. This increase helped improve veteran’s medical care, reduce the wait time on processing claims, and improve access to mental health care and substance abuse programs for our brave men and women when they get home.
In 2008, I proudly voted for the new Post 9/11 GI Bill to provide full college scholarships to four year institutions to allow our veterans access to the education they deserve. Additionally, I supported a measure to extend the home buyer tax credit for any active duty military personnel who served overseas for more than 90 days between December 1, 2008 and May 1, 2010, ensuring they have an opportunity to purchase their first home.
Working with current and past members of the Colorado Congressional Delegation, Veterans Service Organizations and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), I helped secure funding for a new state-of-the-art VA Medical Center at the Anschutz Medical Center in Aurora. In August of 2009, I was proud to join VA Secretary Eric Shinseki at the groundbreaking ceremony for this new hospital. I am particularly proud this stand-alone facility will include a 30-bed spinal cord injury unit and will serve hundreds of thousands of veterans from all over the Rocky Mountain region. I look forward to continuing to work to provide these brave men and women with everything they need both at home and abroad.
I also work very hard to strengthen Buckley Air Force Base. I have met with the commanders of the units headquartered at Buckley, and I feel its growth and quality of life are unmatched in the United States Air Force. I am proud to represent it in Congress. But there are always opportunities to improve the quality of life for the men and women stationed there, and I will continue to seek federal funds to do so. Twenty-four hours a day, Buckley’s 460th Space Wing keeps a watchful eye on our nation’s enemies monitoring for the launch of missiles which might threaten us and our allies. Equally as important, the Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Fighter Wing at Buckley patrols the skies of the Rocky Mountain West against any airborne threats. In Congress, my job is to give all men and women at Buckley the tools they need to do their job and provide the housing and services for Buckley’s families to live as the most beautiful and comfortable community in the Air Force.
