Veterans & Military Affairs
I will work to ensure our national security remains strong. When our service members are called to serve, it is imperative that we provide our troops with the equipment and weapons they need to be successful. I will continue to support policies that protect our troops, their families, and our nation.
And we must make good on our promise to help our fighting men and women when they return home; we owe them much more than a "thank you for your service," we owe them real actions to provide meaningful support. The federal government must live up to its responsibilities to properly support those who served in our armed forces and their families. I firmly believe that this is one of our nation's chief responsibilities.
Long wait times and scheduling problems at VA Medical Centers are deeply concerning, and I am working to ensure veterans are receiving timely access to quality care. After learning of long wait times at VA Medical Centers, I wrote a letter to the VA Secretary requesting a system-wide audit of scheduling practices and wait times. I've also visited the VA facility in Livermore and have been assured by the director and her staff that while long wait times and access issues are occurring at VA centers across the country, this is not the case in the Bay Area. I will diligently work to ensure this remains true and to improve care for all veterans around the country.
What I am Doing for You
I cosponsored, voted for, and the House passedH.R. 3967, the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, a bipartisan bill to create a presumption of service-related disability/illness from toxic exposure to airborne hazards like burn pits and Agent Orange as well as radiation from testing sites. The bill lifts the burden of proof off of Veterans and requires the VA to streamline its review process for toxic exposure claims. It is the greatest expansion of VA benefits in more than 30 years. This bill was signed into law by President Biden on August 10, 2022.
I cosponsored H.R. 8616, theVA Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act of 2022, this bipartisan bill requires a Federal Housing Administration mortgage notice to a veteran to contain comparative rate and fee information about loans available under the Veterans Affairs home loan program.
I'm an original cosponsor of H.R. 1282, the Major Richard Star Act, a bipartisan bill to provide combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service their full benefits.
I'm an original cosponsor ofH.R. 1948, the VA Employee Fairness Act of 2021, which would ensure that VA's Title 38 healthcare professionals — including nurses, physicians, dentists, and physician assistants who serve our veterans — have the same workplace rights currently granted to other VA clinicians and federal employees. By providing full collective bargaining rights to these healthcare professionals, VA will be better equipped to retain and recruit top-tier staff to care for our nation's veterans and empower VA staff to speak up about patient safety concerns.
I'm an original cosponsor of H.R. 2709, the Access to Contraception for Servicemembers and Dependents Act, to ensure military families receive the quality reproductive health care they deserve. The bill would bring health care provided by the military in line with current law for civilian populations by ensuring that those who receive health care through the military have access to all forms of Food and Drug Administration-approved contraception with no health insurance co-pay. The legislation would also guarantee access to emergency contraception for survivors of sexual assault upon their request and require the Defense Department to develop a comprehensive family planning education program.
I'm an original cosponsor of H.R. 3224, the I am Vanessa Guillén Act, to revolutionize the military's response to reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault by making sexual harassment a standalone offense within the Uniform Code of Military Justice and moving prosecution decisions of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases out of the chain of command, as well as establishing a process for compensating servicemembers who survive sexual violence when the military has been negligent. It also reforms the Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program.
I'm an original cosponsor and voted for H.R. 1448, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act, which passed the House of Representatives in 2020. This bipartisan bill would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create a pilot program on dog training therapy and provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses regardless of whether or not they have mobility issues.
I cosponsored H.R. 2734, the Veterans Health Family Services Act, to ensure that servicemembers' and veterans' fertility treatments (such as IVF and counseling) are included as part of their health benefits.
I cosponsored H.R. 2974, the Military Spouse Hiring Act, a bipartisan bill that incentivizes employers to hire spouses of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Research from the Department of Defense and the Hiring Our Heroes Foundation has found that unemployment rates for military spouses far exceed that of the national average; this bill would help close the gap by expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include the hiring of qualified military spouses, allowing employers to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those spouses.
I cosponsored H.R. 475, the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act, a bipartisan bill that aligns military dependents covered by Tricare with civilian providers by raising the age for Tricare coverage to 26 years of age, as is the case with every other healthcare insurance provider.
I'm an original cosponsor of, voted for, and the House passed H.R. 707, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act, a bipartisan bill to honor a top-secret World War II unit with Congress's highest expression of national appreciation.
Rep. Swalwell and local students deliver Valentines for Vets at the Livermore VA Community Living Center, in February 2016.