Andy Barr has served as the U.S. Congressman for Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District since January of 2013. Congressman Barr is a senior Member of the House Financial Services Committee and is Ranking Member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy. In the 117th Congress, Congressman Barr also began serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and serves on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation.
I was honored to serve on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee (HVAC) during the 116th United States Congress, where I was able to impact policy in a positive way for those who have served us in uniform and protected our freedoms. Some of the highlights from my time on HVAC include:
• Introducing and enacting into law amendments to the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship as part of the Forever GI Bill. These amendments lowered the credit hour requirement in the scholarship that made it more accessible to student veterans across the country. My legislation unanimously passed in the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Trump in 2019. Kentucky veterans have benefitted from this legislation by being able to take the classes needed to complete their education after their service. Employees looking to fill in demand jobs also benefit from well-educated veterans trained in STEM fields.
• Leading the bipartisan Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act to passage in the House of Representatives. This bill protects veterans by requiring the VA to restore online forms used by veterans applying for disability benefits and cuts down on red tape making it easier for veterans to get the benefits they deserve.
• Introducing the Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment (SAVE) Act, allowing survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) to receive treatment from providers they know and trust in the community.
• Spearheading historic equine assisted therapy (EAT) provisions in the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act. This legislation works to better serve veterans by connecting them with mental health services in the community to prevent veteran suicide. A longtime supporter of EAT as an innovative alternative therapy, I succeeded in including my language authorizing EAT as an eligible service in this landmark veterans suicide prevention bill. I also pushed several amendments to the VA/Military appropriations bill to increase funding for EAT.
• Formed the Sixth District Veterans Coalition to receive constituent input on veterans affairs related issues and legislation, and to intake casework for veterans in our district.
Should any constituent veteran have issues with the VA or need help with other issues involving a federal agency, please contact my office at 859-219-1366.