According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Congressional Affairs the list on the poster is intended to be a representative sample of the conflicts in which the different branches of the armed services played a significant role. While only a few of the battles fought over our Nation’s two hundred years could be placed on a single small poster, I understand that may be little comfort to the veterans who served, or the families of service men and women who lost their lives, in a conflict not listed on the poster and who may feel forgotten.
I would like to say that no one who has served has been forgotten. And on this Veterans Day, which the poster commemorates, we will honor and remember ALL.
However, honoring veterans goes beyond one poster and one day of remembrance. We honor veterans every day we live in freedom, exercising the rights granted to us by the Constitution and defended by all those who serve in the armed services past and present.
As a nation, we also honor veterans in the way we care for them, and in what we provide for them and their families after their service is completed. This Congress has been especially committed to veterans and has enacted a number of laws to improve their lives.
The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, we enacted, is giving veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan an opportunity to pursue a four-year college education, or pass that benefit on to their spouse or child.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included a payment of $250 to eligible veterans and survivors to help make ends meet. I have co-sponsored legislation to make the same payment again and expect a vote when we return to work in Washington on November 15th.
The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act provided the Department of Veterans Affairs with a stable and steady source of funding. This ensures the VA will be able to meet the health care needs of veterans and their families today and in the future.
The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 addressed the unique health care needs of women veterans. It also recognized the caregivers of wounded and disabled veterans, providing access to training, mental health counseling and respite care. Some caregivers may qualify for a monthly stipend, travel assistance, and access to VA health care.
And we passed legislation providing a $2,400 tax credit to employers who hire unemployed veterans.
Here in the Northern Mariana Islands we now have a Veterans Affairs Outreach Clinic, so our veterans no longer have to travel to Guam for primary health care. The VA has also identified local providers who will be able to accept referrals, making it easier for veterans to get the treatment they need here at home.
Access to a benefits counselor should also improve with the new commitment by the VA to have a counselor travel to each of our islands on a regular basis to meet with veterans.
At my request, the Secretary of Defense will be required to look into providing a full-service exchange store here in the Northern Marianas, which will benefit both veterans and those on active or reserve status.
All of this work for veterans in the 111th Congress helps. But I know there is more to be done. And I will not forget that our nation’s commitment to all veterans is for a lifetime.
To all Veterans — my heartfelt thanks for all you have done for our people and our country. God bless.
GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN
Member, U.S. Congress
