U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria represents Virginia's Second Congressional District. Prior to her election in 2018, Rep. Luria served two decades in the Navy, retiring at the rank of Commander. Rep. Luria served at sea on six ships as a nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer, deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific, and culminated her Navy career by commanding a combat-ready unit of 400 sailors. Vice Chair of the House Armed Services Committee and a member the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Rep. Luria was one of the first women in the Navy's nuclear power program and among the first women to serve the entirety of her career in combatant ships. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she is the committee's Vice Chair, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where she serves as Chair of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, and the House Committee on Homeland Security. Of all members in the House Democratic Caucus, she served the longest on active duty, having completed 20 years of active military service with the U.S. Navy. Rep. Luria graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and received a master's in engineering management from Old Dominion University.
There is no higher priority to me than fighting for those who chose to serve their country in uniform. As a 20-year Navy veteran, I know firsthand the unique challenges and opportunities that our veterans face as they transition out of service.
As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I work closely with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find ways to support veterans and their families. On the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, I have pressed the VA to find ways to streamline jobs programs to make them easier to use for veterans, and I am a cosponsor of the Reduce Unemployment for Veterans of All Ages Act. This bill will repeal a limitation preventing veterans who have been out of the service for longer than 12 years from participating in employment programs. I also joined the leading Republican on the Committee in cosponsoring a bill to allow veterans to qualify for in-state tuition in any state they choose.
I am also advocating on behalf of Gold Star families harmed by the 2017 tax law. Together with a bipartisan group of cosponsors, I introduced the Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, which would repeal an error in the 2017 tax reform bill that was causing some Gold Star families to pay thousands of dollars in additional taxes on their survivor benefits. This bill passed the House as part of a larger legislative package. With the support of Democrats, Republicans, and nonpartisan organizations, we are working to fix a flaw in our tax law and provide more financial security to America's most heroic families.