David Loebsack: “I come to the House floor today to honor one of my longtime district staffers, Virginia Stratton, who retired recently.…”

“I come to the House floor today to honor one of my longtime district staffers, Virginia Stratton, who retired recently. Virginia had been with my office, serving the people of Iowa, since I first came into office in January 2007. Since then, she has handled more than 3,300 cases for Iowans having issues with the Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, and the Postal Service; but, by far, the largest portion of her cases involved the Veterans Administration. As I travel across my district, all 24 counties, meeting with veterans, it never fails that one of the first things I hear is about how hard Virginia fought on their behalf or on behalf of their loved ones to cut through the redtape at the VA. Whether it was securing medals for veterans who served but didn't receive their proper recognition, or helping expedite a disability appeal, there was nothing--and I say nothing--Virginia would not do to ensure our veterans received the assistance that they needed. I always knew that if Virginia was on the case, there would be no stone left unturned and no question left unasked. She worked every day for the past 10 years to ensure our veterans received the care they earned and rightly deserved. As a military parent myself, I believe we have no greater responsibility as a nation than to ensure our veterans are treated with the same dignity and honor with which they served our country.…”