Supporting Veterans

SUPPORTING VETERANS

As a Member of Congress, advocating for veterans and their families is a top priority for Congressman Cline. His district offices help veterans with their claims with the Department of Veterans affairs, and in Washington, he is always looking for new ways to do more to support those who supported us.

Throughout his tenure, Congressman Cline has strived to honor veterans by advocating for and passing legislation, some of which has been signed into law, that deals with burn pits, suicide prevention, veteran health care options, blue water navy, the widow’s tax, reserve and national guard bankruptcy, and opening up membership into the American Legion for previously disqualified veterans.

Below are just a few examples of pieces of legislation Congressman Cline has supported during his tenure to accomplish these goals:

117^th Congress:

• H.R. 4433, the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act requires the Administrator of the SBA to carry out a pilot program issuing grants to eligible Veterans to start or acquire a qualifying business, giving Veterans greater flexibility with the money they earned.
• H.R. 1448, the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a pilot program to provide canine training to Veterans diagnosed with PTSD as an element of an integrative health program.
• H.R. 2974, the Military Spouse Hiring Act expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include the hiring of a qualified military spouse.
• H.R. 3674, the Vet Center Support Act directs the VA Secretary to submit to Congress a report on mental health care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs in certain States to ensure our Veterans are being properly cared for.
• H.R. 2192, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021 ensures that applicable individuals who resided, worked, or were otherwise exposed to government-provided tap water that was contaminated with harmful chemicals, found at levels ranging from 240 to 3,400 times levels permitted by safety standards, at Camp Lejeune from August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987, could obtain appropriate relief from harm.
• H.R. 1476, the PFC Joseph Dwyer Peer Support Program Act requires the VA to establish the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program to make grants to eligible entities (including (1) a nonprofit organization that has historically served the mental health needs of Veterans, (2) a congressionally chartered Veteran service organization, or (3) a state, local, or tribal Veteran service agency, director, or commissioner) for peer-to-peer mental health programs for Veterans.

116^th Congress:

• On July 30, 2019, I joined President Trump in the Oval Office as he signed my bill, H.R. 1641, the Let Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service (LEGION) Act. This bill expands American Legion membership criteria to include all honorably discharged veterans who served during unrecognized times of war.
• H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Actextends benefits to servicemembers that served in the territorial waters off the coast of Vietnam and were exposed to Agent Orange. (signed into law)
• H.R. 553, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act eliminates an unfair deduction of benefits which is placed on surviving spouses of service members when their spouse passes away during active duty. 
• H.R. 1381, the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act authorizes specified individuals to update the burn pit registry with the cause of death of a registered individual. (passed in the House)
• H.R. 3495, the Improve Well-Being of Veterans Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to award grants for a period of three years to eligible entities for the provision of suicide prevention services to veterans and their families.

For more information concerning work and views related to Veterans issues, please contact our office.