
(D-Maine)
Over the last few years, there have been great strides taken to help our nation’s veterans. We have increased the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care budget, instituted advance funding of VA medical care, provided a G.I. Bill for the 21st Century, and expanded access to VA health care for more veterans. But more needs to be done. Just this past week, the House of Representatives passed a series of bills that commit to ending veteran homelessness, provide employment protections and opportunities and support veterans during reintegration by protecting homeownership following deployment. Outlined below is a more detailed account of these actions.
End Veteran Homelessness Act
This bill increases funding to successful programs for homeless veterans, requires each VA medical center that provides supporting housing services to provide housing counselors, requires housing counselors to conduct landlord research, strengthens permanent housing programs, and pays special interest to the needs of homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.
National Guard Employment Protection Act
One of the protections provided under current law is to require employers to support a service member’s absence for up to five years if called to active military duty. Since September 11, 2001, the National Guard has played a critical role in federal missions, and a small but increasing number of National Guard members are bumping up against the five-year protection for their civilian jobs. This bill provides necessary reemployment rights for those ordered to full-time National Guard duty.
Helping Heroes Keep Their Homes Act
During the peak of the home foreclosure crisis in 2008, Congress passed the HEART Act, a comprehensive housing and economic recovery bill. Among the critical protections included in the legislation was a provision to prohibit foreclosure of property owned by a service member for nine months following a period of military service. This bill extends expiring protections that safeguard veteran homeowners from foreclosure for nine months following deployment.
Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act
This bill increases the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes. The bill would go into effect December 1, 2010.
Energy Jobs for Veterans Act
This bill increases job opportunities for veterans by reimbursing energy employers for the cost of providing on-the-job training for veterans in the energy sector. Specifically, the bill creates the pilot “Veterans Energy Related Employment Program,” which would award competitive grants to states that are able to serve a population of eligible veterans, boast a diverse energy industry, and have the ability to carry out such a training program.
Combined, these bills will increase on-the-job training opportunities for returning veterans, prevent mortgage lenders from foreclosing on a veteran’s home, and make sure payments for disabled veterans keep pace with the cost of living. This is the least we can do for those who have served our county. Moving forward, I look forward to doing even more.