Giving back to those who gave so much

Senate Democrats are proud of our veterans

Their commitment to our citizens, to our country, and to the sanctity of our way of life – and their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect these things – has earned them a lifetime of dignity, honor and respect.

Each and every year, a top priority for Senate Democrats is to set forth policies that accord our veterans the dignity, honor and respect they deserve.

This session, we passed legislation that:

• Directs state institutions of higher education to increase the number of veterans who receive tuition waivers and help them access any GI Bill funding for which they may also be eligible
   
• Creates the Veterans Innovation Program to provide veterans who have returned to their families and communities after serving in recent military action with additional assistance. This includes crisis and emergency relief, education, training and employment assistance, as well as financial hardship grants for employment, education, housing and health care;
   
• Creates a down-payment assistance homeownership program to assist veterans, their widows or their dependents in purchasing a home;
   
• Increases from one acre to five acres the amount of property on which veterans whose disposable income is $40,000 or less can defer tax property payments;
   
• Provides services for vets returning from Afghanistan and Iraq exposed to depleted uranium, including a registry, outreach to affected personnel, and a study of the health effects of exposure;
   
• Provides vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with assistance in applying for benefits and services, including additional post-traumatic stress disorder treatment and education services;
   
• Provides clothing, tools and transportation funds to help veterans to participate in the Veterans Conservation Corps; and
   
• Adds 40 beds at the Veterans’ Home in Retsil.

While we did not pass a bill banning protestors from being within 500 feet of a funeral or memorial service, both Senate Democratic and House Democratic leadership have committed to making the bill one of the first we pass next session.