How to thank the veterans of this district
Since I began running to serve this district in Congress, we’ve made the drive between Austin and Killeen more times than I can count and we’ve knocked on 1000’s of doors and met thousands of people all over the district.
Those I’ve been able to meet and have conversations with in Killeen are nearly all connected in some way to Fort Hood, the largest, active-duty armored US military base in the world. If I had to make a rough guess, I’d say that 80% of those I’ve spoken with are veterans. And every time I mention my commitment to ensuring that veterans are able to get their disability claims met in a more timely fashion, I get the same nod of resigned understanding — simply put, this community is hugely under-served.
Whatever your feelings on the wars we’ve been waging in Southwest Asia for the last twenty years, it strikes me as a deep moral wrong that politicians use veterans and military families as stage props to advance their careers — then do not advocate for them. I am truly serious about service — my sole motivation to run for Congress stems from a genuine desire to improve the lives of Texans, and that includes those who put their lives on the line for us.
The reality is that too many veterans are getting sick from illnesses they may not otherwise have been likely to get, usually several years after their exposure to toxic burn pits while deployed. And as someone who is committed to addressing the healthcare crisis broadly, with 15 years of experience tackling how we get healthcare delivered to hundreds of thousands of Texans efficiently and with real continuity of care, I have a lot unique qualifications to be able to address this issue in Congress.
These veterans are unable to get treatment from the VA for these illnesses — such as respiratory, cardiovascular issues and cancer — because the VA says it can not determine a link between their exposure and their illness. But thanks to the testimony under oath before Congress by the veterans who actually served in Northern Iraq, we know that for years, huge open pits of chemicals, plastics and assorted waste were lit on fire and left to burn in huge clouds that left those who served with illnesses that they clearly would not have contracted otherwise. We have to do right by them.
And as we all know, veterans struggle with a host of service-related issues to include rates of unemployment and homelessness that far exceed the national average. Additionally, too many veterans suffer quietly from the invisible wounds of war, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Left untreated, these combat-induced injuries lead to the elevated levels of depression, substance abuse and suicide so prevalent among today’s veterans.
This community needs someone who will fight for them in Congress, every single day. Texans need, and our veterans deserve, a service-oriented House rep who will show up, listen, and who will be accountable to them. A lot of politicians talk big about their support for veterans, but very few actually get into the trenches and fight for those who served. I am ready to fight for this community and to make a real difference.
Today is Veterans’ Day. It is my sincere hope that by Veterans’ Day of 2020, we will have elected those to public office across this state and across this country who are service-oriented, who are committed to listening and serving all of their constituents, regardless of party, and who will use their time in office to meaningfully deliver for service members and veterans.
Julie
