Defense/IraqDefending America is the most important duty of the federal government. Protecting our nation starts with providing American troops with the resources they need. The work of those in uniform is dangerous and difficult – requiring personal commitment and sacrifice as well as the patience and support of their families. I support funding needed to provide regular pay increases, quality health care and equipment for those in uniform. I will never vote to deny our troops in harms way the full support they need to protect themselves and America.
The Global War on Terror
The United States cannot stay in Iraq forever, yet Congressman Hastings agrees with American military leaders that an arbitrary pull-out would have serious consequences for our security.
Congressman Hastings supports efforts to measure progress in Iraq and hold the Iraqis more accountable for their own security. He has opposed plans that withhold critical military personnel, fail to provide funds for American troops and arbitrarily pull out of Iraq with no plan to fight terrorists or protect America.
GI Bill
Congressman Hastings voted for the new GI Bill Benefit law that improves and modernizes benefits. The new law increases the maximum monthly GI Bill benefits, allows them for the first time ever to be transferred to veterans’ spouses and children, and provides enhanced benefits for those who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001.
Wounded Warriors Act
Congressman Hastings voted for the bipartisan Wounded Warriors Assistance law that makes common sense improvements to ensure that military men and women have access to the care they have earned, and to help achieve excellence throughout the military health care system.
The law creates a new toll-free hotline for reporting deficiencies at military health facilities, requires a study to identify infrastructure needs, and authorizes funding to support wounded soldiers and their families. It assigns a medical case manager and a patient advocate to each service member receiving outpatient care – and makes sure that these professionals are properly trained.
Improvements are made to the process used to determine if a soldier can return to active duty so that wounded service members are afforded more input into the decision. And, provisions are included to provide those separating or retiring from service with a seamless transition into the VA system.
Soldier Survivor Benefits
Congressman Hastings joined with Congressman Earl Pomeroy, a Democrat from North Dakota, to write a law protecting the survivor benefits of soldiers killed in action. The law makes certain that the families of National Guard and Reserve soldiers who are killed in action receive the full survivor benefits they are due.
The need for this legislation came to light following the death in combat of a soldier from Yakima County, when the soldier’s state pension plan listed him taking early retirement. As an early retiree, the soldier’s widow was not entitled to the employer’s contributions in the retirement fund.
By requiring that employers treat soldiers killed in action as active employees on the day preceding the date of death, the Hastings-Pomeroy law ensures families of soldiers killed in action receive the maximum amount of pension benefits.
Soldier Citizenship
In 2003, a provision authored by Congressman Hastings making legal immigrants serving in the military eligible for U.S. citizenship after one year in uniform was signed into law. Previously, legal permanent residents could be granted citizenship after living in the U.S. for five years, or after three years of military service. Hastings’ provision eliminates bureaucratic red tape often faced by soldiers seeking citizenship by waiving administrative fees for servicemen and allowing them to apply for citizenship and take their oaths while stationed overseas.
Other than reducing required waiting periods, the law leaves in place all existing conditions for citizenship, which require candidates to: 1) be of good moral character, 2) commit themselves to the principles of the Constitution, 3) demonstrate the ability to read, write, speak and understand English, and 4) pass a test on U.S. government and history.