Larson Touts Historic Accomplishments For CT Veterans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 6, 2010

CONTACT: Emily Barocas/202-225-7295

LARSON TOUTS HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR CT VETERANS

Hartford, CT – This Congress has made historic advancements to care for our nation's veterans. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) touted those accomplishments on the day that Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, visited Connecticut.

"We have made a sacred pledge to the brave men and women who defend this country on the battlefield, that we will care for them when they return," said Congressman Larson. "For too long these national heroes faced long lines for services, endless red-tape, and underfunded programs. When we took control of this Congress we pledged that would change. We've made unprecedented investments in caring for our veterans, improved the quality and efficiency of services and ensured that budgeting for veterans never falls prey to political maneuvering."

For local veterans, Congressman Larson secured nearly $6 million in funding to rebuild the Rocky Hill Veterans Home. This funding will improve the quality of life for hundreds of area veterans and create 40 new construction jobs in our area.

Here are some of our other top accomplishments for veterans:

• House Democrats did more to increase veterans funding in the last three years than the Republican Congress did in 12 years. We added $23 billion for veterans' health care and services, providing a 60% increase.

• We fought to secure advanced funding for veterans' benefits, for the first time providing a stable and uninterrupted source of funding for medical care and ensuring that veterans' services are never subject to political maneuvering.

• We implemented the GI Bill for the 21^st Century to ensure access to a four-year college education for our returning veterans.

• We addressed the troubling reality of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and incidents of suicide among veterans by increasing counseling for returning veterans and mandating a study into causes and treatments. We also expanded mental health services and support to the families of our veterans.

"Our returning veterans should never again be treated as a burden on this nation. As our men and women in uniform return from the battlefield we must continue to ensure they receive the highest quality benefits and services and are prepared to re-enter civilian life. This issue is about our morals and values as a nation and we cannot afford to let our veterans' services return to the state we found them in 4 years ago," said Congressman Larson.