“We ask the men and women in the services to give their best when called to arms,” said Representative Keenan, “We therefore must give them our best when they are on duty or when they have lain down their arms. We call them to service, so we must be prepared to serve them and their families in turn.” Although he has only been in office seven months, Representative Keenan has been active and vocal in his support for Massachusetts’ veterans and armed service members. In February, just a few short weeks after taking the oath of office, Representative Keenan signed onto a letter from Representative Edward Connolly to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation urging them to oppose President Bush’s reckless cuts to federal veterans programs, including instituting a $250 enrollment fee for VA care, increasing prescription drug co-pays from $7 to $15, cutting $351 million from veterans’ nursing homes, and reducing state veterans grants from $114 million to a mere $12 million. In early March, Representative Keenan became a cosponsor on a bill put forth by Senator Joan Menard that would ensure that public employees of Massachusetts who serve in the armed forces would not suffer a loss of pay or benefits from the Commonwealth while they served. The bill, endorsed by thirty-eight other legislators of both parties, would provide these soldiers with a salary and benefits equal to what they otherwise would have earned if they were still working for the Commonwealth. In her testimony before the Public Service Committee on the bill in early June, Senator Menard stated, “This legislation [sends] a strong message to those who serve our country, that the Commonwealth and the members of the General Court not only applaud and commend their efforts and actions, but also recognize that the sacrifices they make during their time of service should not include their wages and their benefits.” About the same time, Representative Keenan received a phone call from a constituent who serves in the Armed Services asking about the existence of a Massachusetts “war bonus” for soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The war bonus program, administered by the state’s Department of Veterans’ Services, has traditionally offered small cash bonuses to Massachusetts residents who serve in a war or armed conflict. Representative Keenan was surprised to learn that the bonuses did not yet exist for those who have served in the recent conflicts in Afghanistan or Iraq. “It seemed like something that ought to be done,” said Representative Keenan, “It isn’t lots of money, but it is an important gesture of gratitude to the men and women of Massachusetts who voluntarily serve on today’s battlefields.” Working with Veterans Committee Chairman Anthony Verga, Representative Keenan became the leading cosponsor of a bill that was filed to institute a $750 to $1,000 bonus for Massachusetts servicemen and women or their families. The Veterans Committee reported the bill out favorably after a public hearing in late May. As recently as Tuesday of this week, Representative Keenan joined many of his colleagues in cosponsoring a resolution proposed by Veterans Committee co-chairs Representatives Anthony Verga and Senator Stephen Brewer that calls upon the U.S. Congress to make federal funding for veterans’ health care mandatory rather than discretionary. With the revelation last week that the federal Department of Veterans Affairs will face a $1 billion shortfall in health care funding for the nation’s veterans, this resolution is extremely timely. “This concept of mandatory or assured funding would address the burdens faced by many veterans in the Commonwealth, such as extended wait times for medical appointments, increases in prescription copayments, and the closing of enrollment in the VA health system for certain veterans,” explained Chairman Verga. “Following the moving funeral of Staff Sgt. Chris Piper this past week, this Fourth of July we should all pause to reflect on the sacrifices and bravery of our veterans and soldiers. I thank our service men and women, their families, and all of our veterans for all that they have given us, and vow to continue fighting for them,” Representative Keenan remarked, “Our hearts are filled with gratitude for those who put their lives on the line in the cause of our country, compassion for those who came home wounded in the cause of liberty, and devotion for those who sacrificed the breath of life in the cause of freedom.”
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||