Watson Coleman’s work in the House centers on her belief that, in the United States of America, there’s a floor below which we should never allow any child, any family, any person to fall. Knowing that millions struggle every day just to make ends meet from the first to the last of the month, her legislative work seeks to bridge the gap for these Americans, making sure that the richest nation in the world doesn’t allow millions to live below the poverty line; doesn’t allow vulnerable groups to suffer the fallout of environmental violations; doesn’t allow profit margins to define the standards or the motivations for incarceration; and doesn’t allow bias to push everyday needs like car insurance out of reach for working families.
Our armed service members put their lives on the line for our country and they deserve to be taken care of when they return home. Too often, veterans return to a country that is not adequately prepared to help assimilate them back into civilian life. Many veterans are not able to receive the healthcare – both mental and physical – they need. As a member of both the Medicare for All and Military Mental Health Caucuses, I have been on the front lines of Congress fighting to guarantee our veterans the healthcare that they need.
To that aim, I am a proud cosponsor of the STRONG Veterans Act of 2022 (H.R.6411), to help support the mental resilience of our nation's veterans through mental health outreach programs, and ultimately ensure they do not lose the fight at home. This legislation gives the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) important new authorities and resources to support veterans’ mental health and well-being through increased training, outreach, mental health care delivery, and research in line with the Committee’s public health approachand President Biden’s strategy to address veteran suicide.
I've also voted for the PACT Act (H.R.3967), comprehensive legislation that seeks to address the full gamut of issues impacting toxic exposed veterans’ access to earned benefits and care.