On the recordApril 12, 2016
I am pleased to support H.R. 4676, the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2016, as amended. This legislation provides an important tool for Federal prosecutors to combat veterans' benefits fraud, a very despicable practice. Because we honor their service and the sacrifices that they have made, it is particularly important that we go above and beyond the call of duty to protect America's veterans from fraud and to ensure the integrity of the system of benefits we provide to them. Currently, there are about 21 million veterans of the United States military, men and women who selflessly served our Nation in various theaters of war, from the Second World War, Korea, and Vietnam to more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, many of our veterans, as a result of their service, have physical and mental scars. There are well over 1 million American veterans with service- connected disabilities. The suicide rate among veterans is 300 percent above the national average, and it is estimated that about 30 percent of all Vietnam veterans and 20 percent of veterans of the recent Middle East conflicts suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder in a given year. In addition, veterans are more likely than nonveterans to become homeless. They comprise 17 percent of our homeless population. On any given night, an estimated 50,000 veterans are sleeping on America's streets.…
