Garamendi Hosts Veterans Advisory Meeting in Vacaville
Garamendi addresses his Veterans Advisory Meeting
VACAVILLE, CA—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) hosted a Veterans Advisory Meeting in Vacaville to discuss the pressing needs of veterans in his Congressional District and collaborate on potential solutions. Garamendi was joined by a crowd of local veterans at the American Legion in Vacaville, where he presented an update on his work in Washington to support their priorities and listen to ideas, requests, and feedback that members of the audience provided.
"As the Representative of both the Travis and Beale Air Force Base communities and over 50,000 veterans, I know how critically important it is to support our service members during their enlistment and when they transition back to civilian life," Garamendi said.
"When I took office in 2009, I witnessed a monumental backlog in service requests for local veterans. It was unconscionable, and I knew it had to be made right. To date, my office has helped secure over $8 million in owed benefits for local veterans that were delayed. Additionally, I recently voted for legislation that will build four new VA medical facilities throughout California, establish a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to benefit veterans that's like the COLA used for Social Security, and tackle the issue of veteran homelessness. I'm pleased that all of these policies have become federal law and this much-needed relief is on its way," Garamendi continued.
"It was a pleasure to meet with so many incredible veterans today. I will take their ideas and suggestions back with me to Washington and continue to fight for them every day. Their service to our nation is commendable, and they deserve to be properly heard and supported by their federal government," Garamendi continued.
"It was also an honor to provide a special recognition to Vietnam Veterans in attendance today. They went to unimaginable lengths to keep our nation safe, and we thank them for their incredible service," Garamendi continued.
Garamendi presents a commendation and pin to a Vietnam veteran.
"Thank you to everyone who attended today's meeting, and to the local service providers in attendance who provided a critically important overview of resources and information local veterans can use to receive the care they deserve. I will continue to host these advisory meetings and listen to the feedback and ideas my constituents have to offer," Garamendi concluded.
An overview of the event's speakers and topics that were addressed is included here.