Veterans

We have a duty to the men and women who have bravely put their lives on the line to defend our country, and we must provide them with the assistance they need to ensure they have a home to return to. Approximately 4% of the Congressional District 01-IL population are veterans. The district has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam.  They deserve to have a home and not be on the streets.  For these reasons, Congressman cosponsored the Return Home to Housing Act, the maximum rate of per diem payments provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to entities that furnish services and transitional housing to homeless veterans.  He also supported the VA Home Loan Awareness Act, which would add a disclosure informing veterans they may be eligible for a VA Home Loan and direct applicants to consult their lender for more information about the VA Home Loan program. He also cosponsored the VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act, requiring a Federal Housing Administration mortgage notice to contain comparative rate and fee information about loans available under the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program.

Health is also important to veterans, as many return home with mental and physical health issues. Congressman Jackson cosponsored the Expedited Hiring for VA Trained Psychiatrists Act, which authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to appoint a psychiatrist who completes a residency at a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility to a VHA health care position immediately after such residency, without regard to civil service or classification laws, if (1) the psychiatrist meets the required qualifications. He also supported the Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2024, which directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on menopause care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Our veterans should also be able to get an education and work without any complications, as transitioning back to the civilian world is already a challenge. Congressman Jackson supported the Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act, a significant piece of legislation that expands eligible work-study activities to include jobs at nonprofit and state agencies that either directly or indirectly benefit veterans or the U.S. military. The act also allows VA Work-Study participants to be paid the higher state, federal employee, or local minimum wages, ensuring that our veterans can pursue their education and work without financial constraints.