Veterans Deserve a Bill of Rights

Do you support legislation to end veteran homelessness, address suicide, and more for our heroes?

Our nation’s veterans serve and protect us in the military -- but too often, we fail to serve and protect them when they return home: Only 30% return to civilian life with a job, nearly two million along with four million of their family members lack basic health coverage, 20 veterans die from suicide every day, and over 40,000 are without a home on any given night. They deserve better.

And a set of simple changes and cost-effective tools will make a dramatic difference, from leveraging veterans’ unique experience and training to propel them toward jobs, to proven programs that help with re-entry to civilian life, to services that make it easier for vets to access high quality healthcare and secure housing.

Protect and Serve: A Veterans Bill of Rights has been introduced in 11 states: Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Texas. See the map here.

Here’s what’s in the bill: 

  1. Increase veterans’ access to jobs.
  2. Increase veterans’ access to college degrees, certificates, and licenses.
  3. Increase veterans’ access to healthcare.
  4. Prevent veteran suicide and increase veterans’ access to mental health services.
  5. End veteran homelessness.

Read the full Protect and Serve: A Veterans Bill of Rights model policy here.

Before the first debates we challenged the Democratic presidential candidates to pledge their support for Veteran’s issues during the first round of debates. None stood up. Watch the videos from Major (Ret) Richard Ojeda and Captain (Ret.) James McCormick telling their story and asking the candidates to step up for American heroes like them.

Also – check out this great organization that is helping put veterans to work. Rags of Honor is a top-quality screen-printing organization that has the mission of providing employment and services to homeless veterans. The proceeds go directly to employ the veterans who are producing the garments at the Rags of Honor facility.  They set out to make a difference for those who have served our country by building a company that honors their service.

Tell us, do you support a Veterans Bill of Rights to tackle suicide and other critical issues facing America's Veterans and their families?