В Конгресс США внесли законопроект о расширении поддержки ветеранов и их семей

In Hawaii, we know that caring for those who cared for you is not something you volunteer for. It is a kuleana — a responsibility you proudly inherit. The U.S. Army drafted my father Anthony straight out of Campbell High School and sent him to Vietnam. He returned home to a country unprepared to care for the visible and invisible wounds of war that so many of his generation carried. He quietly provided for our family while keeping his service- connected struggles hidden. Decades later, following profound personal loss in our family, he took a courageous step and sought help. That moment unlocked decades of unaddressed PTSD, anxiety and depression, transforming our lives and making me a caregiver. As an Elizabeth Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellow, I represent part of a hidden community of more than 14 million military and veteran caregivers across the United States. We care for spouses, parents, children and friends who stepped up to serve in the armed forces. We help America’s wounded warriors with everything from complex medication management and mobility to navigating intricate bureaucracies. Yet, despite our devotion, caregivers face overwhelming physical, emotional and financial strains, especially in geographically isolated or rural communities like ours. Caregiving moves at the speed of trust, but institutional support too often moves at the speed of bureaucracy. This is precisely why Congress must act swiftly to pass the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (TCAVA). TCAVA advances a long list of overdue veteran care priorities in one package, empowering the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand suicide prevention, provide better care for traumatic brain injuries, process claims faster and more accurately, better support combat-injured retirees, treat surviving spouses more fairly, and provide stronger support for caregivers like me. Of particular interest to Hawaii, TCAVA works to bridge the gap between VA medical centers and remote communities: expanding transportation grants to eligible Native Hawaiian organizations, a pilot project to expand VA rural facilities, and study the feasibility of a full-service VA medical center in Hawaii beyond the capabilities of the current Spark Matsunaga VA Medical Center. This is all about ensuring veterans can access the care they earned through their service, whether they live in Moanalua or on Molokai, in Kapaa or Kapolei, in Volcano or down the road from the VA. By reinvesting savings from already-planned disability rating adjustments, TCAVA provides long-overdue resources for combat-injured veterans, caregivers, and surviving spouses who have waited years for this support. Families like mine help deliver on America’s promise to care for those who served in the armed forces regardless of if they signed up for it or not. But we cannot do it alone. It’s long past time to back that promise up with the full force of federal law. With crucial votes approaching in both the U.S. House and Senate, lawmakers have an opportunity to cross the aisle and stand behind military families. Passing the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act is not merely a policy decision, it is a moral imperative. Congress must fulfill America’s kuleana to those who served by passing this once-in-a-generation legislation without delay. T. Ilihia Gionson, a 2021 Elizabeth Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellow representing Hawaii, cares for his father, who was drafted into the Army, sent to Vietnam and today lives with service-connected PTSD.