Our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much to preserve our freedom, which is why I am always working hard to ensure they have access to the care and benefits they have earned. This week, I helped pass five new bills in the House of Representatives to do just that, including: 

• The Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act to ensure veterans can still access GI Bill benefits during national emergencies like the pandemic.
• The Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act to increase compensation rates so families can keep up with historic inflation and the rising cost-of-living that comes with it.
• The Improving Access to the VA Home Loan Benefit Act to make purchasing a home easier for veterans by ensuring access to the same modern-day purchasing tools ordinary citizens already use.
• The Wounded Warrior Access Act to create a secure online access portal for veterans to more easily and efficiently request a copy of their VA records.
• The Faster Payments to Veterans Survivors’ Act to help the VA better identify, locate, and pay life insurance benefits to the surviving family members of recently deceased veterans.

As Americans, we have an obligation to do all we can to help veterans when they return home from service – and getting these bills across the finish line would be a step in the right direction. There’s much more that needs to be done to ensure we roll out the red carpet for Eastern Washington veterans, and I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.