Jon L. Christensen: “I am so proud of what we are doing on behalf of our veterans today and so I rise in strong support of the Military…”

“I am so proud of what we are doing on behalf of our veterans today and so I rise in strong support of the Military Construction & Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. In addition to the increase in funding--the largest increase in the entire 77-year history of the Veterans Administration--there are many provisions here that will help the over 6,000 veterans of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Just last week as I was traveling back to Washington, one veteran complained that he was getting no response on his disability claim. I have many other open cases in my office. This bill will reduce the backlog and make good on the promise to take care of any injury related to their military service. There is a major increase in health care funding, and I will work to ensure that some of it is sued to make health care more accessible to Virgin Islands veterans. I also hope we can address the increased reimbursement for travel to and from care. Our veterans have to travel over water and by airplane to get VA provided care. The costs to them and the family member who may have to accompany them is a great burden they should not have to bear. This bill has many other important provisions, but I only want to highlight one other which is of great concern to me as a physician, and that is the funding for programs to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the other mental health needs of returning men and women of our Armed forces. This is a vital need.”