Lawmakers are working to improve services and programs at the Veterans Affairs department. From the American Enterprise institute, this is one hour and 40 minutes. All right. Lets try to get started here. Good morning. Welcome to aei, and welcome to our program today, the value of our veterans, a conversation with mike levin and bread when strip. Im gary schmitt, im a senior scholar here s in strategic studies at the American Enterprise institute and director of the program on american citizenship. Im going to skip the introduction since were trying to pack in quite a bit in the next two hours, less than two hours. So for those joining us here and or online or watching on cspan, if you want lengthier buyers please go to aeis website and go to the link for the events page and you will see everybodys biographies. So it may begin by just giving a quick overview of the proceedings today. From representative mike levin, the recent elected congressman from californias 49th district, a district that runs along san diego to southern Orange County and quite frankly i have a niece that lives out there, im not sure why he decided to move to d. C. , a patriotic act on his part. He is the chair of the subcommittee on Economic Opportunity with the house of Veterans Affairs committee. Following his remarks we will hear from former utterance Affair Committee and the congressman that represents ohio Second District which runs from the outskirts and parts of cincinnati and parties. We are pleased that the congresswoman can join us again at aei. We appreciate his willingness to come out of our way. After the opening remarks they will join the discussion by moderator and military times reporter, they will then open after the brief remarks and will have the brief question and answer session with a guest here. After that discussion we will switch to a Panel Discussion with Cynthia Gilman of the foundation of military foundation, and my colleague from aei. The focus of that discussion would be what do we need to do to change the narrative to the more accurate narrative veterans of social office heads. The Panel Discussion will be followed by a q a session in the mornings event will and probably at 10 00 a. M. Just to housekeeping notes. After our discussion with the members if you would stay in your seat for a few minutes always transition the second panel we would appreciate it. Second for q a, if you would wait for mike and is always introduce yourself and is not always pleased to ask questions. Let me conclude by noting Veterans Affairs and veteran policies is a subject which aei scholars, have been writing about for some time. But, writing about policy is one thing, and producing legislation of veterans lives is quite another. Which is why we are delighted to have chairman levin and congressman with us today. They are the bipartisan cosponsors of veterans Opportunity Organization plan. Also known as that all active 2019. A measure that passed in house in late may. Please join me in welcoming them. [applause] good morning, everybody. Thank you for being here. We are not voting today as you know, so im grateful to have a free day before i get on the plane. No better way to begin than to talk about the most rewarding aspect so far. This is been the ability to share a subcommittee on house veterans subcommittee dealing with housing homelessness, workforce transition systems and its an Incredible Opportunity particular for freshman, one that is six years everyday. I am honored to have a chance. Im grateful also to my colleagues across the aisle, the house of veterans Affair Committee, is perhaps the most bipartisan place in congress and theres a lot of interesting stories going on, its been a crazy week as everybody knows, the story that is not told often enough is a story of bipartisanship that still happens on a daily basis in washington and our work is the best representation of that. Most of the time if you were to turn off the video and listen to the audio in our hearings in the subcommittee in particular, you would not know who the republicans were and you would not know who the democrats were. Were all there in the service of our veterans and service of our country. I hope that is how it always is. I tell you, i think both chairman and Ranking Member doctor are doing a terrific job. In my subcommittee, im honored to have a guest to florida and we are built a relationship of respect and appreciation for one another. In built on share in trust and a deep desire that we both have disturbed veterans. Im the grandson of a world war ii veteran. My grandfather on my downside, i think of him all the time. When thinking about how we treat those on many cases sacrificed everything for freedom and security in a keep talking a lot about what it means to be a patriot and serve our country. While i did not serve in the military, nonetheless i have the small opportunity as the chairman of the Economic Opportunity subcommittee to give back to those who have given so much immigrant but would often talk about the gaps in Services Provided to veterans. I remember that well, and for me its absolutely unconscionable that we would do Everything Possible to treat her veterans as the heroes is there. And so much more. So, the other thing is, we are actually passing bills. You dont often hear about that. But in our committee, we have considered Something Like 40 meals, we passed over half of them. And roughly about ten of them and theres a couple of them that came from my subcommittee and i am honored that six of the bills that i helped to introduce, each with a republican has passed the house representatives. I am also encouraged, i just had a great meeting with senator couple days ago. Im encouraged that a lot of these can go to the senate line as well. Typically will get past the senate and some of these initiatives actually will pass. If you will entertain me, i would very briefly like to explain these six bills. One is with representative and a very grateful with you leading the way with the act and what it would do is create an administration at the va, its a somewhat controversial plan with the va, everybody else wants it. All the veterans i talked to wanted. What would happen if you would be able to separate the core work for Economic Opportunity, from the benefits administration. Folk rehab, home loan benefits and the transition program. Its outdated, its undermining the benefits that our veterans earned. We have to restructure resources. It would eliminate rather than create more red tape. Everybody i speak with, the veterans who will be impacted, they want this to happen. I hope the va welcome around. It might make things more difficult and shortterm but the longterm, our veterans will have a lot of gains from this restructuring, it will be welcoming overtime. I wanted to mention some of these other bills. We have one to support disabled veterans housing. Thats one i think have a great shot at getting through. We want to improve the tap program. He had a friend who passed away after service in iraq. Hes confident to have this better transition assistance. Its more of a wraparound support system, the opportunity to go on and have a more successful Postal Service career. We have another one on Mental Health access. A bill we are doing to expand the access to vet centers. Clearly the Medical Center are to be available to them as well. Then we are trying to also protect our veterans when they go to take out a va loan. A buildout help fix that. Another con stem cell that would meet the requirements under the g. I. Bill, its what most programs are offering. A lot of these are hopefully noncontroversial. Even in todays washington. You all might know better than i, ive only been here for seven months. What ive seen is the rhetoric seems to be set aside in service of our veterans. It should be that way, i hope its always that way. I have no greater honor than being on the committee. Im very interested in environmental policy. What i didnt expect his service on Veterans Affairs committee would be as rewarding as it is. The accomplishments i would be able to achieve in washington would be the bipartisan bills that we pass in the last seven months. You will hear from representative when strip. Continuing to get your ideas on how we can invest and serve our veterans. [applause] thank you. Thank you all for being here this morning. Its a pleasure to be here. Especially this particular topic. You are right when you talk about the va committee. I would share this, the va committee is probably the Top Committee when it comes to bipartisanship. I got a reporter at one time Say Something about that and i said how many members of congress can you name. Theres only about ten. Its pretty much the people you see every evening on cable. What you think the rest of us are doing . The va committee is a place where you get a lot of things done. I look back on the forever g. I. Bill. The mission act was cosponsored by every member. I dont think theres too many times you consider. That was a big bill. It was always a pleasure to walk into the va committee room. You know you will have good conversation that is very serious and professional. This particular bill that i backed was very important to me in so many ways for a lot of reasons. It focuses on that transition. To civilian life. The opportunities that exist economically. The six years i served on armed services, im a veteran, i served a year in iraq, zero fivn there. When i came back, as a reservist, they said you dont have to go back to work for 90 days. I said, im going next week. I wont say around my house. I think that is important. I had a medical practice to go back to you. Not everybody has that luxury. I was 47 years old. For some people, they are 21 or 22 and havent had something established overtime. You started things about what you go through during that time, it is very odd. Rest of the country is just going about their business. Theres gas at the pump, food at the store and no one knows what you just went through. If you dont have somewhere to go in something to do, its very different. There was a book called the american soldier and mostly about how they get together and do missions and pray, there is one passage that caught me. So getting ready to come home, he had been in iraq for a year. There was a Baghdad Airport and he begins to crack. I said where you crying . He said i dont think we will be able to do as much for other people. I will be bored and it will seem mundane. I think that is very true in so many ways. Why is this important . That was more like, youre getting out, heres your benefits. Then well see you later. To me, its much more important to go further back. Think about what the va has had to do. It had to be reactive to conditions or problems you have had. I think a lot of those come from the fact that you were part of something big. Part of something you were needed every day. You were essential. If you dont have somewhere to go when you come back, it is very challenging. Stress is very real. If youve been in the environment and see what we see it hasnt affected you in some way, then there is probably something wrong with you. But if youve been there and it does have an effect on you to some degree, i consider that normal and should be addressed. To the level that you need. Went from being so essential and needed and then you come back and have nothing. Its important that you have a plan. Within the va, a great opportunity to make sure we are really focusing on opportunity for veterans, not only when they first get out but beyond that. But they continue to have opportunities. For transition assistance, or to go back further. I want to see more you get recruited, your young thinking about joining, the recruiter says, what you want to do in the military . I want to be a marine. Army, infantry. Heres what that looks like. Imagine the recruiter saying, what you want to do after . Its talk about that right now, too. Lets prepare that path. Whether you are in 44424 years, lets talk about that. Your two heres out, a professional saying your path in the military, if you stay in and here is a path otherwise. If you graduate college and you get your degree can you dont have a job wind up, thats not a great day. If you take that uniform off and you know where you are going next and what the opportunities are, that is much better. You look at what happens, the va being reactive, most suicides we hear about, happen in uniform. They happen later. I think its because of that situation if you have nowhere to go and no one to understand what youve been through. Wake up everyday with a purpose. It makes a difference. Thats what you have in uniform. All of these things are so very important as we move forward and try to pass legislation. The army, we say soldier for life. Lets mean it. We will be with you and we will help you. Imagine a parent sitting there who hears recruiter say, what you want to do after . We want to get you there, too. That is huge. This bill is a strep step in that direction. Thats where we are going. Jodi has picked up that ball and run with it as well with you. I think it is important. Lets break the stigma. I was in an event with Major League Baseball owners and george bush showed up unexpectedly. He said what are you doing in town . Im here to work with veterans. Help the veterans with transitioning, happen figure out how to put a resume together and apply for a job. When they asked for qualification and skills, you cant just for sniper. You got to say, i Pay Attention to detail, i show up for work on time and you can count on me. There are so many people trying to help with the transition. We need to do our job and do all we can. I also met a veteran one time who lost both legs and was in a band, playing guitar. I began talking to him, this was a military event. He said you know, i am not a wounded warrior, i am still a warrior. I think we should look at all of those. I think most dont your pity, they want you to appreciate what youve done want you to know they are still in the game. Thank you all for being here this morning. [applause] thank you both so much. You and traffic. Not just with the outback but the overall thought of how benefits are delivered at the va. You and i were on this stage, you were talking about this same bill, same idea. Do you feel like the va is Getting Better at shifting from the idea of delivering benefits as a process to something that is collaborative . This idea of not just sending out checks but working with veterans to personalize it . I do. Its helping another human being and working with human beings and i think we were seeing tht more and more. Its, the culture is improving in that regard. Maybe its always been but i think as long as ive been in congress as far as the v. A. Committee, thats been the feeling. I agree. My Health Centers in my district, i think the team is doing a fantastic job at the local veterans that i speak with our getting extremely high quality care. Looking holistically at the whole person and their needs. I think the challenge we face in san diego is there are too many who are falling through the cracks who are eligible for services but are not getting the services, who for many reasons that happens. We have an issue as im sure you know with a veteran homelessness in our area. Theres roughly 1300 or so Homeless Veterans throughout the greater san diego area. My hope is in time a lot of hard work and great people around the community we can dramatically reduce that number, but too many are falling through the cracks and you have a lot of folks with discharges other than honorable discharges or not this is owed taken advantage of any services. They are only eligible for certain services. Some of myno colleagues, i know scott peters my colleague scott peters has a couple of bills that would expand some of the Housing Services that are eligible for bash voucher program, but weve got to do all we can to make sure people are not falling through the cracks that anybody is getting the services they need. Have a huge problem with addiction and opioids, not jut in the veteran community but throughout our population to grab a big problem with homelessness, not just the veteran community but throughout the population. Everything i have seen the v. A. Both locally and the folks here secretary wilkie and others ive spoken with are doingo everythig they can to address the problems that exist but weve just got to stay on it. We cant let upp at all. Weve got to, i think that that act is a a great way to focus d target resources that exist to make sure theyre being used most effectively, cut through red tape and actually serve the veteran the best way possible sort that was going to be my next question. If youre seeing doesnt prove its and it will sink veterans unemployment reaching historic lows, do we need to worry about this . Is this just aue matter of the system function on its own and maybe this programs are doing fine . Well, there are two component of it. What were trying to do on one front is be prevented. When you talk about homelessness, and how do we get the new veteran as they are leaving servicew to immediately not drift towards homelessness, right . Thats what you do, talk about trying to do unfriended. But the same time theres a lot of catching up to do with those that have been out there for a while not knowing where to turn. We always appreciate, im sure you do, too, when somebody calls your office, because they are looking for guidance sometimes but theres also something that you and you said in the community, and thats a big part of it, too. It has been so wonderful to see how many private citizens or private groups havew popped up o try and be there. In cincinnati we have, its private, tristate veteran center, and veterans can show up and get engaged with anything, talk a