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VETERANS & THEIR CARE

Problem

Veterans served their country.

Yet they face barriers to basic care, stable housing, and support after service.

The data is unmistakable.

  • 18 million+ veterans live in the United States

  • Nearly half report trouble accessing benefits or healthcare

  • 35,000+ veterans are unhoused on any given night

  • Rural veterans often travel 50+ miles for specialty care.

  • 17 veterans die by suicide every day

  • Veterans are 50 percent more likely to die by suicide than civilians.

  • PTSD and TBI rates remain high among post-9/11 service members

  • Women veterans face increased exposure to harassment and trauma during service.

  • Nearly 2 million veterans are stuck in delayed or backlogged claims and appeals.

  • Veterans disproportionately experience:

    • Food insecurity

    • Unemployment

    • Medical debt

    • Homelessness

The bottom line:

Veterans did their duty — but the systems meant to support them are failing.

Solutions

1. Fully staff and modernize the VA

  • Hire more VA doctors, nurses, mental health staff, and caseworkers.

  • Expand clinics in cities and rural regions.

  • Use telehealth, mobile clinics, and extended hours.

  • End privatization pushes that siphon money away from VA services.

Impact: Veterans gain faster access to care, reducing delays and unmet needs.

2. Guarantee mental health support for life

  • Free lifetime mental health care for all veterans

  • Prioritize treatment for:

    • PTSD

    • Combat trauma

    • Moral injury

    • Substance use

  • Peer support networks staffed by veterans.

  • Suicide prevention programs with rapid-response capacity

Impact: Early and continuous intervention lowers suicide risk and builds resilience.

3. End veteran homelessness

  • Permanent housing-first programs tied to VA services

  • Rental support usable in rural and urban markets

  • Rapid rehousing and eviction prevention

  • Crack down on financial predators and unsafe landlords.

Impact: Veterans achieve lasting housing stability, preventing re-housing.

4. Strengthen support for women veterans

  • VA access to reproductive care, maternal health, and childcare

  • Trauma-informed services for survivors of harassment or assault

  • Dedicated women’s health clinicians in every VA system

Impact: Women veterans receive tailored care that improves health outcomes and safety.

5. Fix the benefits system

  • Automatic VA enrollment at discharge

  • Presumptive approval for:

    • Toxic exposures (burn pits, PFAS, chemical exposure)

    • TBI-related injury

    • Serious mental health conditions

  • Modernize data sharing between the DoD and VA.

  • Mandatory processing timelines to end backlogs

Impact: Veterans quickly receive benefits essential to health and well-being.

6. Support families and reintegration

  • Childcare, housing assistance, and mental health support for families

  • Job training and transition support after service

  • School stability programs for children moved between bases.

  • Caregiver compensation and respite services

Impact: Entire veteran families achieve greater health, economic, and social stability.

Bottom Line

Veterans kept their promise to this country.

Policy must keep its promise to them — with healthcare, housing, mental health, and benefits delivered without delay, without barriers, and without excuses.

If we can fund war, we must fund care for our veterans.