We must fight for those who fought for us by protecting veterans’ benefits, improving the benefits claims system, and improving access, quality, and timeliness of VA health care. In the Army, I was proud to fight alongside some of the finest men and women I’ve known. These veterans and their families have earned their benefits and deserve the best care this country has to offer. We must fulfill our promises to them by protecting their medical care, access to mental health resources, compensation for service connected disabilities, education benefits, and by helping them transition to civilian life to include meaningful employment.

Homelessness among veterans is unacceptable and we will fight to care for our veterans. When I returned home after serving in the U.S. Army, I struggled to access my own benefits. This inspired me to begin fighting for veterans in Colorado. I worked with other veteran leaders and elected officials to secure the funding for the new VA hospital in Aurora. As an attorney, I donated hundreds of hours of legal pro bono work for organizations that work to help veterans with substance abuse and other issues. I will never stop fighting for those who served our country, because they never stopped fighting for us.

The Veterans Administration was once known for its excellent health care system, but has been plagued by underfunding and mismanagement. I work tirelessly to ensure that our veterans can rely on quality and timely medical care and mental health care and will fight attempts to privatize the VA. Nearly three million Americans have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When they return home, many struggle to transition back to civilian life. Protecting veterans’ education benefits and working to promote employment and career development of veterans can help ease this difficult transition for many veterans.