Issue Position: Veterans Services

Issue Position

My grandfather is a WWII veteran, and I will always stand up for veterans who risk their lives to serve our country. We have a solemn responsibility to take care of our veterans after they come home.

Increasing Eligibility Awareness

Maine is home to approximately 150,000 veterans and their families, and whether they're retired or pursuing other careers, they deserve the full benefits they've earned. As McClatchy Newspapers reported in 2012, 59 percent of U.S. veterans say they understand their eligibility for benefits "a little" or "not at all." Maine needs stronger outreach programs to reach eligible veterans and inform them of their rights, especially if they fought in wars prior to Iraq and Afghanistan when soldier services were more limited. We also need health care that includes full mental health benefits, which is why I support including them in all TRICARE plans.

Government Shutdowns and Austerity Budgets Hurt Veterans

Our veterans also deserve to know their elected leaders won't sacrifice their interests for political reasons. The 2013 shutdown, which my opponent Republican Susan Collins voted for twice, meant 56 layoffs for Maine employees at the Department of Health and Human Services, dozens of VA furloughs, and multiple Veterans Benefits Administration office closures until the shutdown ended. Veterans' lives were disrupted because Senate Republicans preferred to shut down the government rather than work with Democrats to find common ground. It should never have happened, and I would have done everything I could as a Senator to prevent it.

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