Press Release

Congressman Hensarling Hears from Local Veterans

DALLAS— Congressman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) recently met with a group of 5^th District and Dallas-area veterans to hear their concerns and input on federal issues and legislation that affects them, including access to VA health care, TRICARE benefits and the proposed government takeover of the health care system.

“As a Congressman, one of my top priorities is to ensure that our nation's military service veterans receive the help and care that they need and deserve,” Congressman Hensarling said.  “There is no group of people to whom our nation owes more than our veterans.  That is why it is so important for me to stay in touch with them about issues that affect them.”

This meeting came on the heels of a forum where the Congressman Hensarling invited thousands of 5^th district Veterans to meet with VA officials and other key Veterans organizations at the Congressman’s 2009 Veterans Resource Fair.

Since he became a Member of Congress, Congressman Hensarling has consistently and strongly supported increased funding for the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. In July 2009, Congressman Hensarling supported the House-passed 2010 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, which provides $53 billion for veterans, $5.3 billion over last year’s amount.

In March 2009, during debate on the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget, Congressman Hensarling cosponsored an amendment that would have redirected $50 million in funding toward community-based outpatient clinics.

Congressman Hensarling has supported an enhanced concurrent receipt so that veterans can receive the benefits they earned in service to a grateful nation. Most recently, Congressman Hensarling supported the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, which allows concurrent receipt for military retirees with a 100 percent service-connected disability.

Congressman Hensarling has also supported enhanced survivor benefits for spouses and dependants of service members and veterans. Congressman Hensarling supported the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision to change the survivor indemnity allowance from a dollar-for-dollar reduction of benefits to a $40 per month allowance for military survivors who qualify to receive both the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).

Congressman Hensarling has worked to ensure that veterans have access to quality health care that is delivered in a timely fashion. Congressman Hensarling offered an amendment to the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act (H.R. 1538), which was agreed to by the House of Representatives.  This amendment would have required the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on how to reduce the average length of time between the desired date on which a veteran seeks an appointment and the date the appointment actually occurs.  This amendment was also included in the House-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1585), but unfortunately it was not included in the final version of the bill.

“Throughout our nation’s history, whenever our country has been attached or when the enemies of freedom threaten peace in our world, American men and women in uniform, from all backgrounds and all walks of life answered the call to defend us. We owe these brave Americans a debt of gratitude that we can never fully express, but we can make sure they are well taken care of for their service,” Hensarling said. “President Calvin Coolidge once said, ‘The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.’  I for one am committed to ensuring this nation never forgets.”  

###