Veterans' Issues

I come from a family of service. I understand that those who give to their country must be able to rely on their country to give back.

I have a clear vision for providing the more than 1 million veterans in Illinois with the best possible benefits. In the U.S. Senate, I will work to ensure that those who have served receive the care and respect that they deserve, as follows:

Improved access to health care in underserved areas across Illinois
I will work to expand the network of 20-25 VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and Independent Health Clinics that are currently operating in Illinois. This will provide veterans with easier access to primary care and outpatient services. Currently, many Illinois veterans must travel up to three hours by car to reach one of five regional VA hospitals in order to receive treatment that could be provided in CBOCs. Increasing the number of these clinics will ensure that our veterans, particularly the elderly and disabled who have difficulty traveling long distances, have better health care through easier access to VA health-care facilities.

In addition to demanding accountability from the Department of Veterans Affairs on the CBOC issue, I will also work to ensure that the five regional VA hospitals continue to provide logistical and staffing support to assist CBOCs in better serving Illinois veterans.

Improved access to treatment for PTSD and other service-related mental-health conditions
I will work to increase the level of service within the VA health care system so that as our troops deploy home, they have readily available access to treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other service-related mental-health conditions. I will advocate for funding for projects such as the Behavioral Medicine Building, which will be built at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Ill. This facility will expand the availability and range of mental health treatment for veterans in southern Illinois and will serve as a model for expanding such treatment to veterans across the state. I will also fight for funding to provide increased staffing within the VA system, so that veterans can be diagnosed and treated for all service-related mental-health conditions and educated on all aspects of mental health.

I will also work with community leaders on public-private partnerships that will locate new CBOCs near full-service mental-health clinics. This will enable veterans to have easier, one-stop access to physical and mental health care.

Support for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and Transition Assistance Program
I support the 2009 Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which provides veterans with $78 billion in educational benefits over the next decade and represents a ground-breaking level of such benefits. I will work to ensure that Congress continues to place top priority on funding educational benefits for our veterans in recognition of their service to our country.

In addition, I will advocate for increased federal funding for the Transition Assistance Program to ensure that returning and retiring veterans get the support they need to find employment upon re-entry to civilian life. A joint project of the Departments of Labor, Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, TAP sponsors comprehensive three-day workshops in which veterans receive employability evaluations and information on current labor-market conditions, resume preparation and interviewing techniques.

Eliminating homelessness among Illinois veterans
I have a zero-tolerance policy on homelessness among veterans. In the U.S. Senate I will actively work to support organizations that provide housing and other services for the thousands of homeless veterans in Illinois, such as the St. Leo Campus for Veterans in Chicago. Run by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, St. Leo’s works to shelter and feed homeless veterans and provide them with health care through the local VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.