During his prior service in Congress Bob Barr served on the Veterans Affairs Committee and earned the reputation as an energetic advocate for veterans and their families; someone who worked to ensure that veterans receive the benefits they have earned through their service to our nation.
Bob Barr will lead the fight to provide our veterans and service members with the pay and benefits they deserve; including support for the Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC).
Of course, there are those in Congress who want to reduce and eliminate services veterans receive and increase co-payments veterans must pay to receive service. Additionally, some want to change the current military retirement program and increase TRICARE enrollment fees and co-payments on military retirees and their families. Bob Barr will oppose such efforts.
Bob plans to join the Invisible Wounds Caucus, to help educate and seek solutions to better address the unseen and often overlooked challenges our men and women in uniform may face after serving our country abroad.
In the 11th District, Bob will work closely with veteran groups, as he did during his previous service in the House. He will host Veterans’ Resource and Job Fairs across the district to help our local veterans and their families as they transition from active duty back into the civilian workforce. Bob will lead again to ensure medical care veterans need is made available to them in their communities; and he will press the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve their delivery of health care to veterans, as he did during his previous service in the House.
During his prior service in Congress, Bob Barr took a leadership role in securing authorization and funding for the national cemetery in Cherokee County. Bob also was instrumental in establishing an outpatient facility opening in Cobb County for veterans.
Veterans deserve to have the federal government honor the promises it made to them and their families. Congress must fully fund the Department of Veterans Affairs and appropriate funds to prevent, treat, and diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, traumatic vision and hearing injuries, and behavioural health challenges veterans face.
One of the most essential efforts Bob will support is the creation of a single integrated electronic medical and service record that will follow service members from the time they enter service until they are laid to rest in a national cemetery. This will also require Congress to use its funding and oversight authority to require the Veterans Benefits Administration to reduce the claims backlog while improving the overall ratings of claim services and higher accountability and accuracy standards for those processing claims. Adjudicators must provide veterans with a full explanation of decisions by the VA. Every veteran, service member, and eligible family member deserves a timely and accurate claim response.