WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently sat down with Loretta Boniti of Spectrum News to talk about his record advocating for North Carolina’s veterans and his work to improve the VA. Last week, Tillis’ office released a new video highlighting Tillis’ work with President Donald Trump, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie and his colleagues to deliver results for North Carolina veterans, including landmark reforms to improve health care for veterans, expanding career and educational opportunities for veterans, and pursuing justice for the victims of toxic water contamination at Camp Lejeune.
Senator Tillis has used his position on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to advocate on behalf of veterans, leading efforts to reform the VA to deliver more timely, quality, and accessible health care for veterans. Working with President Trump, Senator Tillis helped lead the passage of the MISSION Act, landmark legislation that puts health care decisions back in the hands of veterans. Tillis has also worked across the aisle assist veterans exposed to toxic burn pits while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, leading the successful passage of the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act, which was codified into law by President Trump in 2018.
Watch the interview HERE
Tillis on veterans being a top priority for him:
“It has been for a variety of reasons. My father was a veteran and North Carolina is about to surpass California in the number of veterans in any state behind only Texas and Florida. When you think about them having a population three times the size of ours, it gives you an idea of how many people in our state served our nation and we owe them a debt of gratitude and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we repay it.”
Tillis on the state of the VA today:
“VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, who worked for me for three years, has taken the VA from 17th in preferred places to work in the federal government to 6th in one year. We have leaders who are thanking people who are doing a great job but also holding people accountable when they are not…It is putting us in a position to continue improving the VA. A lot of people in Washington like to take shots at the VA, but as one of the largest health care systems in the United States, they do fairly well but it won’t be good enough for me until they do extraordinarily well.”
Tillis on ensuring veterans get the benefits they deserve:
“They deserve every benefit. Every consultation, every crisis moment, and every interaction with the federal government should be seamless and respectful. I ask any veteran that if they feel like they aren’t getting the respect they deserve, the first phone call may be to the VA or federal government but the next one needs to be to my office.”
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