Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) participated in the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Member Day hearing where he advocated for expanded programs at the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) that address veterans homelessness and suicide prevention.

Highlights of Congressman Hill's remarks as prepared for delivery:

I’ve got three veterans on my constituent team and they spend time in our shelters really helping our vets. They deserve that extra touch and many of them are lost in the morass of not only homelessness, but also in search for and understanding of veteran programs that might be of help.

My district is home to many of our brave veterans and service members at Little Rock Air Force Base and Camp Robinson, and I have heard concerns from a number of our veterans about the difficulty in finding a home for not only themselves, but their families as well. One current bill dealing with this issue is Ms. Brownley’s Homeless Veterans Family Act, H.R. 95.

Currently, the VA does not have the authority to provide the reimbursements for the costs of services for minor children of homeless veterans, limiting housing for veterans with young children. This bill would allow the VA to reimburse providers for 50 percent of the costs of housing minor dependents of homeless veterans.

Ms. Brownley’s bill is an example of how we must all work together and continue to move forward addressing this issue that plagues too many of our veterans and help all those suffering from homelessness. They put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms and safety, and in return it is our duty to do everything we can to ensure they get the proper attention and care they deserve. For this reason, I respectfully request that you consider H.R. 95 and other legislation to address this critical issue that consumes the lives of too many of our veterans and their families.