As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Jon is one of Congress’ most effective advocates for veterans. He is committed to working with both Republicans and Democrats to hold VA accountable, pass meaningful legislative reforms, and follow through on this country’s steadfast commitment to the men and women who have served.
Jon knows we must work to improve access to health care, benefits, jobs, education, transportation, and housing for veterans. And he believes that Congress must take their marching orders from veterans— not the other way around. That’s why Jon routinely holds veteran hearings and meetings in Montana to hear from veterans face-to-face.
Tester is spearheading legislation to ensure that all veterans are getting the benefits and care they’ve earned. He teamed up with Republicans to pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act into law, to ensure that more veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange can access essential care and benefits. In a political climate when not much is getting done in Washington, Jon successfully worked with Republicans and President Trump to push this bill over the finish line.
He is also continuing to hold VA accountable by making sure that they implement the VA MISSION Act as intended by Congress. Jon is also pushing legislation protecting veterans’ disability payments and calling on VA to implement strategies to relieve financial burdens on veterans in Montana and across the country. And he’s pushing to change the VA’s approach to veterans’ mental health care and suicide prevention through his bipartisan Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019.
As the number of women in the military increase, Jon is also spearheading a number of bills including the Deborah Sampson Act, focused on improving VA services to empower and better serve women veterans.
Jon believes veterans deserve action. And they also deserve elected officials who will stand up for them, not stand in their way. He is deeply grateful for the many sacrifices veterans have made for this nation, and he won’t stop until the men and women in uniform receive the quality benefits and care they have earned.