Atlanta, Ga. — U.S Senator Jon Ossoff is paying tribute to Georgia’s Veterans and their families.
In a Veterans Day video message, Sen. Ossoff thanks Georgia’s veterans and their families for their service and shares how his office can help veterans and servicemembers across the state access VA and government benefits they’ve earned.
“I see one of my most solemn duties and responsibilities in the U.S. Senate as serving Georgia’s veterans and their families. Each and every one of you have made tremendous sacrifices in defense of our nation, and our entire country owes you a debt of gratitude,” Sen. Ossoff said. “We owe America’s veterans the very best health care, the very best service, to reflect the gratitude of the nation that you’ve defended.”
Sen. Ossoff continues to advocate on behalf of Georgia’s veterans and their families.
Last week, the U.S. Senate passed Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan amendment to expand access to breast cancer screenings for Georgia veterans.
Last month, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) into excessive delays with the VA Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), which decides whether or not veterans are entitled to claimed veterans’ benefits and services.
Last year, Sens. Ossoff and Braun passed into law their bipartisan Access for Veterans to Records Act to help address the backlog of veterans’ service records nationwide and ensure veterans receive the benefits they earned.
This summer, Sens. Ossoff and Joni Ernst (R-IA) passed their bipartisan Investing in VETS Act as part of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act to help service-disabled veteran business owners compete for Federal government contracts, helping expand their business opportunities to new markets.
Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff’s Veteran’s Day message:
Please find a transcript of Sen. Ossoff’s Veterans Day message below:
“To all who have served, who have sacrificed, and to your families, on behalf of the U.S. Senate and the state of Georgia, thank you for your selfless sacrifice and for your service to our country.
“I see one of my most solemn duties and responsibilities in the U.S. Senate as serving Georgia’s veterans and their families.
“Each and every one of you have made tremendous sacrifices in defense of our nation, and our entire country owes you a debt of gratitude.
“We owe America’s veterans the very best health care, the very best service, to reflect the gratitude of the nation that you’ve defended.
“And on this Veterans Day, please know that my team and I continue our work to help you access veterans’ benefits, to help you navigate the VA system, and to advocate for legislation that will improve the quality and responsiveness of veterans’ services for veterans in Georgia and across the country.
“Veterans across Georgia had brought to my attention consistently that they were facing long delays accessing military service records.
“So, I took action and authored a bipartisan bill with my Republican colleagues, Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, aimed at reducing this backlog of service record requests.
“I’m pleased to report to you that this bipartisan bill has been signed into law by the President. We are seeing already some reduction in wait times for the acquisition of those service records for veterans.
“I’ve also passed into law bipartisan legislation that eliminates copays for veterans’ first three outpatient mental health care visits each year, helping more veterans get the care they need.
“And last year, I championed passage of the Bipartisan PACT Act, to strengthen VA health care for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and I remain focused on improving health care at VA facilities across Georgia.
“My office is here to help veterans navigate the VA system and the VA bureaucracy.
“So if you are having difficulty getting an appointment, if you’re having difficulty getting a referral to community care, if you’re having difficulty accessing your service records to unlock the benefits you’ve earned, my staff and I are here to help you.
“You can find our contact info, phone numbers, email addresses, and physical office locations throughout the state at ossoff.senate.gov.
“It’s the deepest honor to represent you in the Senate.
“Thank you for your service, and happy Veterans Day.”
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