Jack's scorecard with Veterans

Here is just a few of the things Congressman Kingston has voted for to help Veterans:

• Since 2001, spending for veterans has increased by $24 billion (53%).
• The VA medical care budget has increased by 51 percent.
• Total outpatient visits have increased from 44 million to 55 million.
• The number of prescriptions filled has increased from 98 million to 116 million.
• In the past five years, Since January 2002, the backlog of disability claims has dropped by 20%.
• More than $1.5 billion dollars has been put toward modernizing and expanding VA facilities.
• Voted to repeal the 112-year-old practice of Concurrent receipt which requires disabled veterans to be penalized for disability payments.
• Eliminated the 90 day minimum detainment or internment as a prisoner of war before eligibly for outpatient dental care
• Specified treatment availability for a veteran who participated in chemical and biological warfare testing
• Expanded rehabilitative services previously authorized to be provided for disabled veterans
• Specified funding for construction of veteran medical facilities
• Allowed for a widow of a veteran to remarry after age 57 and still be eligible for veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), home loan, and educational benefits.
• Expanded benefits for Filipino veterans who fought for the United States during World War II.
• Increaseed funds for specialty adapted housing and transportation for disabled veterans
• Expanded educational benefits for National Guard members forced into full time duty.
• Required the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide “extended” care services for veterans
• Instructed the Department of Defense to fashion an agreement with the VA that would allow veterans to use VA health services at the Department of Defense's expense
• Declared that veterans who have a service-connected disability rate of 50 percent of more are eligible for health care services
• Authorized housing assistance grants for homeless veterans.