When our nation’s political leaders choose to send our men and women to war, they must be prepared to stand up to protect their families’ economic security. Raúl believes the government should stand behind our veterans by ensuring they have the resources to cover their health and economic needs, including fully funding the costs of their physical and mental rehabilitation. Raúl has co-sponsored legislation to improve veteran meeting halls nationwide and values the participation of veterans’ groups in community life all around the country.

Raúl is an original cosponsor of the following legislation in the 111th Congress, which began Jan. 6, 2009, except the VET Corps Act, of which he is a cosponsor. His advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families has been recognized by an “A” rating from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America for the 2007-2008 session, the latest for which the group’s data are available.

Veterans Pensions Protection Act – To exempt reimbursements of expenses related to accident, theft, loss, or casualty loss from determinations of annual income with respect to pensions for veterans and surviving spouses and children of veterans.

HR 593 – To expand the authorized concurrent receipt of disability severance pay from the Department of Defense and compensation for the same disability under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover all veterans who have a combat-related disability.

Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act – To reduce sexual assault and domestic violence involving members of the Armed Forces and their family members and partners through enhanced programs of prevention and deterrence, enhanced programs of victims services, and strengthened provisions for prosecution of assailants.

Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act – Increases from $20,000 to $30,000 the maximum amount of supplemental insurance provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for totally disabled veterans, establishes an annual cost-of-living adjustment for the temporary payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to a veteran’s surviving spouse with one or more children under the age of 18, repeals the current limitation (2600 per year) on the number of veterans who may enroll in a VA program of independent living services and assistance, increases from $300 to $745 the VA payment for: (1) burial and funeral expenses of a veteran who dies in a VA hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care facility; and (2) a plot allowance for a veteran eligible for burial in a national cemetery who is not buried in a national cemetery, and achieves other goals.

Janey Ensminger Act – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune.

Renovate and Enhance Veterans’ Meeting Halls and Posts Act – To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to set-aside community development block grant amounts in each fiscal year for grants to local chapters of veterans service organizations for rehabilitation of their facilities.

VET Corps Act – To create a service corps of veterans called Veterans Engaged for Tomorrow (VET) Corps focused on promoting and improving the service opportunities for veterans and retired members of the military by engaging such veterans and retired members in projects designed to meet identifiable public needs with a specific emphasis on projects to support veterans, including disabled and older veterans and retired members of the military.