John Boozman: “I rise in support of H.R. 3681, the Veterans Benefits Awareness Act. This simple, straightforward legislation authorizes…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3681, the Veterans Benefits Awareness Act. This simple, straightforward legislation authorizes VA to purchase advertising in national media outlets for the purpose of promoting awareness of veterans benefits. When was the last time you saw the Super Bowl or other prime time recruiting advertisement for one of the military services? Now, when was the last time that you saw the Super Bowl or other prime time ad for veterans health care and benefits sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Probably never. It's one reason that many veterans and their dependents are not aware of the benefits due to them. Over the years, Congress has authorized millions to improve outreach, and the results are disappointing. In spite of the additional funding, VA still relies on the public service announcements, pamphlets, meetings with small groups of veterans, and the one-on-one outreach to deliver its message to veterans. Unfortunately, PSAs are often most broadcast at times when few people are watching, and small groups and individual meetings are often difficult to arrange and are not very efficient. Our veterans continue to tell us that they were not aware of the VA programs that would improve their lives.”