Issues

The Person:

During my time as a non-profit executive providing home repairs, a population I worked heavily with were Veterans. We would provide home repairs but it would also reveal the many ways our country has negatively treated veterans upon arrival back home or after leaving service.

The Principle:

Soldiers are deserving of our respect as human beings but also as servants in government that carry a responsibility to . This is a principle that is reflected in Jesus’ interaction with soldiers as well as other places in the Bible. (Matthew 8:5-13)

The Problem:

Texas Veterans’ have been largely abandoned by our elected officials and politicians. Our state ranks in the bottom half in the country in Veterans’ care and as I’ve traveled throughout Texas to places like Carrizo Springs, San Angelo, and Center, veterans have shared that it is hard accessing resources. 

The Policy Proposal:

1. I’ll introduce legislation to provide federal funding so that every county has a County Veterans Service Officer. There should be someone in each county dedicated to serving veterans that live within that county. 

2. We should not be picking and choosing which Veterans get healthcare. I’ll work to make sure that more veterans are classified as 100% service connected. 

3. Rural Veterans’ health care is an issue and we need better healthcare access for veterans living in rural Texas but also better quality. 

4. Jobs, transportation, and housing disparities for Veterans’ among other issues need to be addressed in Texas. I’ll work with community based organizations to tailor legislation that will address the problems Texas’ veterans face.