Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4601, the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, as amended. This bill authorizes VA to provide grants to States, counties, and Tribes to implement programs that improve outreach and assistance to veterans and their families to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about veterans' benefits and programs. Specifically, VA may provide grants to States, counties, and Tribal entities to implement or enhance outreach activities or activities to assist in the development and submittal of claims for veterans or increase the number of county or Tribal veteran service officers in the State. Additionally, VA would be required to prioritize awarding grants in areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal veterans service officers, areas with high rates of suicide among veterans, and areas with high rates of referrals to the veterans crisis line. With high-profile, sweeping veterans' legislation like the PACT Act recently signed into law, the support and outreach offered by H.R. 4601 would greatly assist in implementing such new programs as smoothly as possible. With enhanced communication outreach focused on explaining new benefits and services to a broader range of veterans and their families, the more opportunities we will have to connect with potential beneficiaries interacting with VA for the very first time.…”