U.S. Congressman and House Committee On Veterans' Affairs member David Trone (MD-06) issued the following statement to honor our country's veterans and their families on Veterans Day.
"Just over a century ago, President Woodrow Wilson issued a message to the country on November 11, 1919, to mark the one year anniversary of the end of World War I:
To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations.
(Wilson, 1919)
Today, Veterans Day is distinguished as a day recognize and honor all those who served our country in the armed forces.
To the men and women of Maryland who fought for our country, protected our freedom, and preserved our democracy: thank you for your service. We are forever grateful.
For many of our veterans, the return to civilian life isn't always easy. We've made leaps and bounds in our medical care and veterans' services in the last 100 years, but we can do more to help.
We can never repay these brave men and women for all they've done for us, but we can make sure they receive the benefits they need and deserve.
There are more than 37,000 veterans in our district alone. They served our country with honor; we must now honor their service. As a member of Congress and the House Committee On Veterans' Affairs, today -- and every day -- I make a promise to honor our veterans through action."
In a message to Maryland's Sixth District, Trone outlined specific efforts he's fighting for to help veterans and their families, including:
The Fairly Assessing Service-related Toxic Exposure Residual (FASTER) Presumptions Act, which Trone introduced to help veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service get the disability benefits they deserve. The bill is part of the Honoring our PACT Act, which would provide health care for 3.5 million veterans exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits.
In September, Trone and U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough toured the Platoon Veteran Services Center at Goodwill in Frederick, the VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Gaithersburg, and met with folks from the Veterans Institute for Procurement to hear first-hand about how he can best serve them. During the tour, the groups discussed how to combat mental health challenges, suicide, and substance use disorder among veterans.
Through his work on the Appropriations Committee, Trone has led efforts to increase funding for veterans in this coming year's spending bills:
Health Care
$97.6 billion for veterans' medical care, including:
$13.2 billion for suicide prevention and treatment for PTSD
$778.5 million for gender-specific care for women
$621 million for addiction programs that focus on targeted pain management and opioid safety
Infrastructure and Research
$2.2 billion for construction to improve safety at VA facilities
$902 million for medical and prosthetic research
Homelessness
2.2 billion for homeless assistance programs that support veterans reentering the workforce and offer rental assistance to low-income veterans