Dear Neighbor,

Veterans Day offers a chance for us to give thanks to the dedicated men and women who have served our country in uniform, as well as their families who sacrifice so much to support them. Their courage and selflessness is unmatched, and we must never forget the great debt we owe our veterans. 

Our district is home to 53,000 veterans and my door is always open to assist these heroes. We have helped veterans obtain Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits, assisted bereaved families in cutting through red tape to schedule burials of fallen service members at Arlington Cemetery, resolved VA claim problems, and secured medals and honors that our veterans rightfully earned but never received.

On Capitol Hill, many of my legislative priorities have been influenced by the interactions I have with our veterans. I have introduced veterans-specific legislation to address Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, expand the implementation of Veterans Treatment Courts, and to increase the availability of training services to returning soldiers. Congress, in a bipartisan effort, passed legislation to provide our veterans greater choice in accessing health care options and legislation to hold senior managers accountable for unconscionable wait times and failures in care. I am currently building support for my bill, the Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act, which would authorize the payment of military death gratuities in the event of a government shutdown. During the 2013 shutdown, grieving families were denied these vital payments and that must never happen again.  

I take great pride in representing the brave men and women of the United States military, as well as their families, and believe there is no greater responsibility in Congress than to make sure those who put on the uniform are taken care of, both during and after active duty service. 

If you know someone who would benefit from our assistance, please encourage them to contact my district offices:

Fairfax District Office
4115 Annandale Road, Suite 103
Annandale, VA 22003
703-256-3071

Prince William County Office
2241-D Tackett’s Mill Drive
Woodbridge, VA 22192
571-408-4407

On this Veterans Day, let us rededicate ourselves to the care of the men and women who would lay down their lives in defense of our republic. 

Sincerely,

Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress