Veterans & Military Families

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The VA has been starved by decades of underfunding and privatization schemes. I’ll fight to:

• Guarantee full baseline funding for VA hospitals and clinics so care is not subject to annual political fights.
• Increase staffing and retention by raising pay for VA nurses, mental health workers, and claims specialists.
• Expand rural access through mobile VA clinics and telehealth partnerships so veterans in rural Oklahoma don’t have to drive hours for an appointment.
• Invest in long-term and assisted-living care for aging and disabled veterans — building more VA-run facilities instead of outsourcing to for-profit chains.
• Stop privatization creep by reversing portions of the MISSION Act that funnel VA dollars to private contractors instead of direct care.

Too many veterans fall through the cracks between separation and VA eligibility. The fix is simple — and long overdue.

• Automatic enrollment into VA healthcare and benefits at the time of separation, using data DoD already collects.
• Pass the SERVE Act model (originally proposed but stalled in Congress) to link DoD and VA systems so veterans don’t have to apply manually.
• Create a single “military-to-civilian” digital record to eliminate redundant paperwork across agencies.
• Fund transition counselors in every National Guard and Reserve unit to ensure parity for part-time service members.

Veteran homelessness is not inevitable, it’s a policy choice. We can end it.

• Fully fund HUD-VASH vouchers and make them permanent instead of year-to-year appropriations.
• Establish a “Housing First for Veterans” mandate that treats housing as healthcare, prioritizing stability before services.
• Invest in VA-owned permanent supportive housing, not just temporary shelters.
• Create regional Veteran Housing Trusts to partner with local governments and nonprofits to buy, rehab, and maintain affordable units.
• Protect veterans from predatory landlords and lenders, particularly near military bases and rural towns where options are limited.

The military and VA systems still weren’t built for everyone who serves. 

• Expand and enforce the Deborah Sampson Act to provide comprehensive care for women veterans.
• Mandate trauma-informed MST response with independent reporting channels outside the chain of command.
• Ensure inclusive healthcare that covers reproductive care, gender-affirming care, and mental health without discrimination.
• Audit VA facilities for compliance with gender equity standards.
• Support LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by expediting discharge upgrades and access to full benefits.

Service members deserve more than slogans when they come home. We deserve a real shot at a stable, dignified life.

• Expand the Post-9/11 GI Bill to cover vocational training, apprenticeships, and childcare support while in school.
• Establish a “Civilian Readiness Program” during the final year of service, focusing on job placement, financial literacy, and mental health preparation.
• Fund military family support centers year-round, not just during deployment cycles.
• Guarantee childcare access for Guard and Reserve families through DoD partnerships with local providers.
• Create a VA-run Employment Corps, connecting veterans to public service jobs rebuilding infrastructure, clean energy, and disaster response.

If we truly respect those who serve, we should stop creating endless wars for them to fight.

• Reassert Congress’s constitutional war powers by repealing outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs).
• Audit the Pentagon and redirect savings from waste and no-bid contracts into veterans’ healthcare and housing.
• Invest in diplomacy and humanitarian aid at levels that match our defense spending priorities.
• Support peacebuilding programs that prevent conflict and reduce the need for military interventions.
• Protect whistleblowers and truth-tellers who expose corruption or war profiteering.