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Military and Veterans

I am proud to represent an area of Northeast Florida that is home to thousands of veterans, active duty servicemembers, and their families. Naval Station Mayport is a key component to America’s national security. In Congress, one of my top priorities is to continue rebuilding our military and ensuring our veteran community has the resources they need to successfully transition into civilian life.

I have compiled the following list of legislative actions I’ve taken to support our servicemembers and bolster our national security: 

  • Introduced and passed the Veterans Armed for Success Act, which would create a grant program for outside organizations that provide transition assistance and wraparound services to newly separated veterans.
  • Introduced and passed legislation to name the St. Augustine VA clinic after Leo Chase, Jr., the first person in St. Johns County to die in the Vietnam War.
  • Worked to improve transition assistance for women veterans as they return to civilian life.
  • Introduced H.R. 3103, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act, which creates a grant program through the VA to pair servicemembers suffering from PTSD with service dogs.
  • Increased oversight for VA’s community care program to ensure that veterans have adequate choice in their health care.
  • Introduced H.R. 4446, the National POW/MIA Memorial and Museum Act, with Rep. Al Lawson to establish the Cecil Field project as the “national” museum.
  • Supported legislation to extend service connection eligibility for Vietnam veterans impacted by Agent Orange.
  • Cosponsored H.R. 663, the Burn Pits Accountability Act, which would require the Department of Defense to evaluate and track the exposure of U.S. servicemembers and veterans to open burn pits and toxic airborne chemicals.
  • Successfully advocated to bring the F-35 program to the 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville.
  • Worked to increase the number of ships homeported at Naval Station Mayport.
  • Fought to protect the workforce at the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast in Jacksonville.
  • Worked with the Navy and private industry to improve ship repair planning.