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Representative Tom Cole logo

Veterans & Military Retirees

Our veterans served during war and peace and have sacrificed tremendously to protect our freedoms. They are defenders of democracy who served to ensure all Americans can continue to enjoy freedom and peace.

I remain committed to holding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accountable and ensuring that promises made to our veterans are kept. Our service members must have access to safe housing, good jobs, and the proper healthcare to support their unique needs. I applaud the efforts being made by the Department of Defense (DoD) to enhance our mental health programs and policies, and I stand committed to ensuring that we continue to advance our programs to meet the needs of our people.

Too often, our veterans do not receive the care and services they have earned, and the VA system needs to find solutions to fix this. Veterans deserve to receive their benefits promptly and consistently; clearing ongoing backlogs will help us reach this goal. I have supported reforms in Congress to modernize appeals processes, bring accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs, give student veterans the most significant expansion of GI Bill benefits since the GI Bill was created, and most recently supported the expansion of protections for veterans’ disability and retirement payments.

Ongoing proposals to raise TRICARE deductibles, premiums, and co-pays for beneficiaries remain a principal concern for military service members, retirees, and their families. I fully understand that TRICARE is an earned benefit, and I am opposed to a “tiered” enrollment fee structure or “means-testing” for service members, retirees, and their families. I understand that the unique military retirement and healthcare package is a primary incentive for top-quality people to endure the extraordinary demands and sacrifices inherent in a military career spanning 20 or 30 years.

I will relentlessly continue to work with my colleagues to preserve and advance pay, benefits, and incentives for the military, retirees, and veterans.