Standing Up For Our Nation’s Heroes
Standing Up For Our Nation’s Heroes
I’m proud to support our brave uniformed service members who keep our nation safe and free. For many families, the military has provided opportunities for education, job security, skills training, and strong benefits. Texas has one of the highest populations of active-duty military and we have more than a dozen active military bases generating over $150 billion in economic activity annually. I support ensuring our defense budget prioritizes our service members pay, healthcare, retirement, and other benefits they have more than earned. I want to see their families and dependents supported just the same because it truly is a shared sacrifice for our military families. In addition, I want to see that support continue for our veterans. They deserve to maintain health benefits, mental health support, housing, help navigating benefits and more targeted services to address their specific needs.

Senate Priorities
Senate Priorities
End forever wars to keep our troops at home and out of harm's way as much as possible
Ensure we prioritize pay, benefits, and practical support for service members, military families, and veterans.
Enhanced disability benefits.
Strengthen the GI bill to expand access.
Target resources to address the veteran suicide rate.
Partner with states to boost funding to support veterans and encourage trauma-informed care trainings for law enforcement and correctional officers.
Provide workforce training and job placement support for spouses and dependents of service members, especially during deployments and transfers.
Increase availability of mental health support at the VA.
Increase funding for HUD and USDA’s Rural Housing Service as well as HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program to remove the waitlist of people, including a significant portion of military veterans, on the verge of homelessness.
My Work in the United States Congress
My Work in the United States Congress
I co-sponsored the Safeguarding the Use of the National Guard Act to ensure Congress has oversight when the National Guard is deployed domestically and to prevent misuse of our service members at home.
I co-sponsored the Pay Our Military Act to ensure servicemembers continue receiving pay during a government shutdown
I co-sponsored the Major Richard Star Act to provide combat-disabled retirees with fewer than 20 years of creditable service the ability to concurrently receive, without any reduction, veterans' disability and retired pay or combat-related special compensation.
I proudly co-sponsored the GUARD VA Act to impose fines on individuals who take advantage of our veterans who are seeking benefits through Veterans Affairs (VA). The attempted commission of such offenses is also punishable by fine.
I co-sponsored the Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act to ensure veterans can access abortion care, counseling, and medication through the VA
I co-sponsored the TAP Promotion Act to authorize representatives of veterans service organizations to promote certain benefits to veterans during preseparation counseling under the Transition Assistance program
I co-sponsored the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act to ensure these Vietnam Veterans are recognized as the heroes they are and awarded the Congressional Gold Medal

