Five ways Sherrod stands up for veterans
It’s our responsibility to ensure the men and women who risk their lives in our armed forces are treated with respect and dignity.
Sherrod—who proudly serves on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee—is a leader in making sure veterans, servicemembers, and their families have the support and resources they need to succeed. Here are five ways he is fighting like hell for them in the Senate:
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1. Sherrod protects veterans’ healthcare
Our veterans deserve comprehensive mental and behavioral care. That’s why Sherrod helped pass the Female Veterans Suicide Prevention Act and the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act to expand treatment and support for those struggling with trauma and mental illness.
He also helped secure the largest-ever increase in VA funding and has held the VA accountable for the disability claims backlog, long wait times, understaffing, and inadequate care.
2. Sherrod works hard to create opportunities for veterans
Sherrod has secured millions of dollars for career services and related programs for Ohio’s veterans. He also passed legislation that gives hiring preference to Gold Star families.
Sherrod’s work for veterans doesn’t stop there: He introduced and co-sponsored the Wounded Warrior Employment Improvement Act, the VOW To Hire Heroes Act, and worked on expanding the Yellow Ribbon Program to provide veterans with job training and placement services. He also helped launch Solar by Soldiers, which trains veterans to succeed in Ohio’s clean energy economy.
3. Sherrod invests in veterans’ education
Sherrod is focused on helping veterans access the educational opportunities they deserve. He co-sponsored a law that permanently expanded GI Bill education for post-9/11 veterans, and has passed legislation making those benefits more flexible and accessible to the families of fallen soldiers.
As part of his bipartisan GI Bill expansion, Sherrod made sure that any veterans and servicemembers who had been taken advantage of by for-profit schools had their education benefits restored.
4. Sherrod fights to end veteran homelessness
Veteran homelessness is a pervasive issue nationwide, and Sherrod has secured millions of dollars to expand access to affordable housing for Ohio veterans. Working with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod passed key provisions to ensure that no servicemember is discharged into homelessness.
5. Sherrod honors those who serve
We must recognize the courage and sacrifices of those who serve. That’s why Sherrod has joined the entire Ohio congressional delegation in introducing bipartisan legislation to allow the battlefield cross to be displayed at the graves of fallen soldiers. He’s also presented long-overdue military medals to Ohio veterans.
Working across the aisle with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod has worked to designate the Ohio Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus as the National Veterans Museum and Memorial.
The Columbus Dispatch wrote that Sherrod was “responsible for legislation requiring the Department of Defense to deliver the remains of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan to airports convenient to their families, not just major hubs often hundreds of miles away.”