Indianapolis, Ind. – Today,Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) delivered remarks at the 12thAnnual Indiana Military Veterans Legislative Day.
See more photos from the event here
Key Excerpts:
Senator Banks: “Indiana is home to over 400,000 veterans. Since the Indian Wars and the Civil War, there have been 99 Hoosier Medal of Honor winners. We’re proud of our veterans’ legacy of service. You can see it in our war memorials, all around the city. You can also see our pride in the military all around the state…”
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Senator Banks: “Veterans choose Indiana because this is a patriotic state that values service, honors sacrifice and takes care of its own…. Hoosier veterans run more than 3,200 businesses, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. Veteran’s issues have always been a deeply personal part of my job. In the State Senate, I was honored to chair the Veterans Affairs and Military Committee. Then when I was elected to Congress I served six years on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, making veterans issues a top priority. And now I’m proud to serve on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, working hard to make sure that our veterans get the benefits they have earned.”
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Senator Banks: “Last year, the VA and Congress working together were able to: Reduce the backlog of benefits claims by 60%, eliminate the backlog of veterans’ families waiting to enroll in healthcare, cut red tape in community care so it works better for veterans, and house 52,000 homeless veterans. That’s 52,000 more veterans with a safe, stable roof over their heads.”
Background:
Senator Banks is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He previously served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Senator Banks is an Afghanistan veteran. Before coming to Congress, Banks chaired the Indiana Senate Veteran Affairs and the Military Committee.
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