Honoring America's Veterans

There is no greater gift Americans can give to their country than being willing to fight and die for the ideals our nation was founded on. And there is no greater obligation than for the government that owes its existence to their sacrifice to support and care for them when they return from the battlefield.

Every American owes a debt of gratitude to our veterans that none of us will ever be able to fully repay. As a society that has asked so much of our men and women in uniform in recent years and throughout our history, we strive to honor them and their service.

Under Jeff’s leadership as Speaker, the 2007 legislature renewed its commitment to helping Oregon veterans get the services they need and improving their quality of life. Among the accomplishments of the 2007 legislative session were:

• An extension of the Oregon personal income tax exemption to more members of our national guard

• Additional financial aid for veterans pursuing full or part-time study or training

• New preference guidelines that encourage public employers to hire veterans applying for civil service positions

• Tax incentives for health care providers that participate in the TRICARE program in order to provide more facilities for veterans to receive medical care

Jeff also personally developed a plan in coordination with the DMV to develop a special Oregon license plate honoring recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

But the federal government must do more to support servicemen and women who have fought for our country, including:

• Immediately enacting concurrent receipt benefits allowing disabled veterans to collect their full retirement pay when they leave service. The current plan will not be fully phased-in until 2014

• Increased funding for mental health services to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. An estimated one-third of those veterans suffer mental health problems.

• Proper screening and treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury for returning veterans. The signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is TBI, and an estimated 300,000 veterans may return home suffering from it.

• Fully funding the VA health care system. Veterans often are forced to wait months for an appointment to see a doctor, and very often they have to travel great distances for care because there are too few facilities to provide effective treatment. The disgraceful conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are symptomatic of a system-wide problem that must be addressed immediately.

• Continue the expansion of educational opportunities for veterans who have fulfilled their service commitment to our country. Senator Jim Webb's landmark update to the G.I. Bill provided a critical update to the original program that helped hundreds of thousands of veterans pay for college education. Signed into law in May 2008, this bill provides greater access to first-class educational opportunities to our citizens who proudly serve America.

We must continue to fight for greater educational benefits for our men and women in uniform, and their families. For example, if an American in service pays the ultimate price, then we should guarantee that members of their immediate family will be able to attend college. We did it in Oregon; we can do it for the rest of the country.

• Revised deployment guidelines that require servicemen and women be given at least as much time at home as they spend on each tour of duty.

• Extend full VA and other benefits to members of the National Guard who have been deployed overseas. Our National Guardsmen and women are being deployed in unprecedented numbers to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They deserve the same benefits we extend to our regular soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

We have seen a tragic shortfall in recent years in veterans’ health care and support services. Sub-par conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, six-month waiting periods to see a doctor – this is not how America should treat its greatest patriots. We can and must do better.

More Information on Merkley and Veterans

• MEMO: Smith Shortchanging our Veterans
• On 4th of July, Merkley Says It's Time to Give Troops Respect They Deserve
• Jeff Merkley's Statement on Memorial Day
• Merkley, Hooley Call for Reintegration Help for Returning Veterans
• Merkley Honors Veterans
• Rassmann, McPeak, Evans to Lead 'Veterans for Merkley'

Posted November 13, 2007
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