Like the Silicon Valley region she represents, Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo exemplifies innovation. She’s creative, boundary breaking and productive. She is a problem solver and a consensus builder. In Rep. Eshoo’s two decades in Congress, she has defended consumers, promoted American competitiveness and innovation, fought for access to health care for families and children, protected the environment, and encouraged development of clean energy technology.
Rep. Eshoo’s work consistently earns the highest approval from a wide range of organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters, the Humane Society, the American Association of University Women, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Science Coalition. The San Jose Mercury News named her one of the ten most powerful women in Silicon Valley “because she sits on committees that oversee the Internet and biotech—areas vital to the valley’s interests.”
When we send the brave women and men of the U.S. Armed Forces into harm’s way, it is our collective responsibility to provide them with the health services, opportunities, and care they’ve earned. Strengthening this sacred promise has been a guiding principle of Rep. Eshoo’s public service.
Congresswoman Eshoo is proud to represent more than 20,000 veterans in California’s 18th Congressional District, as well as the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, one of our nation’s premier medical facilities. Since being elected to Congress, Rep. Eshoo has fought to provide veterans with the benefits they’ve earned serving our country, worked to ensure that the VA Palo Alto receives the resources necessary to provide for our region’s veterans, and successfully led efforts to open two Fisher Houses in Palo Alto to house the families of recovering veterans.
Improving Veterans’ Health Care
Rep. Eshoo has consistently worked to ensure that our nation’s veterans have access to high-quality health care. She recently voted for the Honoring Our PACT Act, comprehensive legislation to provide care for more than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to burn pits, atomic radiation, PFAS, and other toxic substances during their military service. This long-overdue legislation passed the House on March 3, 2022.
Combatting Veteran Homelessness
The words homeless and veteran should never appear together, yet tens of thousands of veterans struggle with homelessness every day. In 2009, the VA announced a campaign to end veteran homelessness and Congress responded by significantly increasing federal spending for programs to help homeless veterans. As a result of these efforts, the population of homeless veterans has decreased from over 70,000 in 2009 to approximately 40,000 today. Congresswoman Eshoo is a cosponsor of the Helping Homeless Veterans Act which continues these vital efforts by permanently extending programs at the VA to combat homelessness.
Expanding Opportunities for Veterans
Ever since the G.I. Bill was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1944, military service has been a bridge to the middle class for millions of Americans. In 2008, Congress built on this legacy by enacting the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act which significantly increased educational benefits for the latest generation of veterans and made these enhanced benefits transferable to veterans’ spouses and dependents. Rep. Eshoo was an original cosponsor of this transformative legislation.
More recently, Rep. Eshoo voted for the Guard and Reserve G.I. Bill Parity Act which grants National Guard and Reserve Members the same access to G.I. Bill benefits as their active-duty counterparts. This important bill passed the House in January 2022.