As we celebrate Military Appreciation Month, it is a time not only to thank our veterans for their service, but also to rededicate ourselves to fulfilling the solemn commitment that we’ve made to our veterans, servicemembers and their families.
Our veterans have demonstrated a selfless commitment to serving our country and the freedoms that we hold dear, and we have a responsibility to ensure that our veterans receive the support they need and have earned.
Earlier this month, I was proud to announce my “Veterans for Maggie Leadership Council,” chaired by two distinguished New Hampshire veterans: Major General (retired) Ken Clark of Stratham, USAF, former Adjutant General, New Hampshire National Guard, and Brigadier General (retired) Jim Smith of Salem, USAF, former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
I also outlined a number of federal policy priorities – from employment and housing, to health care and education – that I will focus on in the United States Senate to ensure that veterans receive the support they deserve.
As the the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting our veterans is deeply personal for me.
My father fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and he had extraordinary pride in his service and the United States military. He was guided by the principle that serving our country means fighting on the battlefield when you must, and also working at home to expand opportunity and include more people in our civic and economic life.
As Governor, I have striven to follow the example that my father set – working to include all people, especially veterans, in our shared success.
And while there is more work to do, I am proud of the progress we’re making to help improve the lives of our veterans here in New Hampshire.
Since entering office, I signed a capital budget that included funding for the expansion of the State Veterans Home’s dementia wing and secured funding for an additional veterans services officer to meet the rising demand for assistance from post 9/11 service.
To help more veterans secure good-paying jobs, we’ve focused on making higher education more affordable and accessible by waiving the residency requirement for veterans to receive in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities, worked to strengthen veterans preference in hiring and developed the Operation VETS Connect program with New Hampshire Employment Security to boost efforts to support veteran hiring.
Through a partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services and Easter Seals New Hampshire, we launched the “Ask the Question” campaign to better connect veterans to every available service by encouraging providers to ask “Have you, or a family member, ever served in the military?”
And we are working with stakeholders across the state to make progress toward ending veterans homelessness in New Hampshire.
We are making real progress here in New Hampshire to support our servicemembers, veterans and their families, and in the United States Senate, I will work to build on our Granite State approach.
Following the inexcusable VA scandal and the recent appalling comments by VA Secretary McDonald, we must continue to reform the VA, including working to eliminate wait list errors, protecting whistleblowers who bring problems to light, pushing for ongoing random audits of VA hospitals, and holding accountable those responsible for problems at the VA. The Secretary should take responsibility for his remarks and the VA should take action to fix the wait time issues at VA facilities to ensure that our veterans can access the care and support they deserve. I also strongly support making it easier for veterans to access mental health care and incentivizing the VA to hire more mental health care professionals.
As Senator, I will also work to improve veterans’ education, and will fight to protect veterans from the questionable practices of some for-profit colleges, provide assistance and support for veterans on college campuses and protect and enhance G.I. benefits. And I will work to build on efforts made in New Hampshire to end veteran homelessness, including expanding housing vouchers for veterans in need.
Together, we can – and we must – get results for our veterans. And I pledge that I will bring my bipartisan approach, my common sense and my commitment to problem-solving to the Senate to get things done for Granite State veterans and for all of our citizens.
Veterans have made countless sacrifices in support of our freedom, and I am committed to ensuring that all veterans, service members and their families have the support they need to thrive.
Gov. Maggie Hassan of Newfields, is serving her second term as governor of New Hampshire. She is currently running as a Democrat for U.S. Senate.
