The men and women who have selflessly served our nation in defense of our freedoms deserve the best possible care. I am fighting for our Iowa veterans to ensure Washington lives up to the promises made to them.
Additionally, as your U.S. Senator I have the opportunity to assist Iowa veterans in your dealings with federal agencies. My office can help with problems or questions about veterans benefits, military affairs, military medals, and more. Please click here to learn more.
Extension of Suicide Prevention Training in National Guard and Reserves
Along with Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), I introduced bipartisan legislation to extend a critical program that provides members of the National Guard and Reserves, as well as their families, with training in suicide prevention, resilience, community healing and response to suicide. In order to combat suicide among servicemembers and our veterans, we must make education and prevention training a priority.
Protecting Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Whistleblowers
It is critical that we identify and improve issues within the VA so that we can ensure our veterans are being provided the quality and timely care they deserve.
Recently, the Senate unanimously approved my Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act, which will strengthen penalties for those who retaliate against whistleblowers, add protections for probationary period employees, and ensure federal employees have a greater knowledge of whistleblower protections. When there are acts of corruption and mismanagement at the VA, we must make sure whistleblowers are protected when they come forward about this mistreatment so that we can address it.
Additionally, the Senate passed the bipartisan Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. This bipartisan legislation, which I cosponsored, helps protect those who courageously step forward to identify any wrongdoing within the VA, and gives the VA Secretary the appropriate authority to dismiss those who do not have our veterans’ best interests in mind.
Authorizing the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation
In April, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to authorize the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, a private foundation, to begin the process of pursuing the construction of a memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The memorial will honor our men and women in uniform, the fallen servicemembers, their families, and all those who have been impacted by our nation’s longest war. In an effort to move the legislation forward, we recently sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources requesting a hearing on this legislation.
VETS Act
Iowa is home to more than 200,000 veterans, many of whom reside in more rural areas, distant from Iowa’s VA facilities. Recently Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and I re-introduced the bipartisan VETS Act which seeks to improve health care access including mental health treatment for disabled or rural veterans by expanding telehealth services provided by the VA. Telehealth offers another way in which we can provide veterans the care they need, including critical, and potentially lifesaving mental health care.