Democrat Lisa McCormick Endorses Comprehensive Veterans Policy Agenda

Fifty years after the last American helicopter lifted off from Saigon, leaving behind a broken nation and a generation of soldiers who returned to a country that did not know how to welcome them, progressive anti-establishment Democrat Lisa McCormick offered a set of cures for the wound on America’s soul, one that has never fully healed.

McCormick, the New Jersey progressive activist who challenged disgraced former US Senator Bob Menendez in the 2018 Democratic primary, announced her support for a series of legislative measures aimed at addressing longstanding issues affecting military veterans and their families.

The proposed initiatives span healthcare access, benefits reform, and recognition for service members, with particular focus on Vietnam War-era veterans and victims of toxic exposure.

Central to McCormick's endorsed platform is full funding for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to continue recovery efforts for 1,573 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

This proposal is central to the mission of Vietnam Veterans of America, the congressionally chartered organization operating under the principle that "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another."

McCormick also backs recognition for the 627 Red Cross volunteers known as Donut Dollies who served in frontline positions during the Vietnam War through the Donut Dollies Congressional Gold Medal Act. The measure would honor these civilian women who provided morale support to troops in combat zones.

Healthcare access features prominently in the proposed reforms, including oversight of PACT Act implementation and mandated epidemiological studies of toxic exposure at military installations like Fort McClellan. The platform calls for expanding mental health treatment options by reinstating physician assistants as mental healthcare providers within VA facilities.

McCormick said benefits processing reforms are needed to reinstate a 48-hour review period for veterans' service organizations to examine disability claims before final determination.

Current data shows approximately 50% of claims receive initial denials, with 80% containing errors upon appeal. McCormick said Congress should adopt proposals to modify the VA fiduciary program that currently reports veterans deemed financially incompetent to firearm background check systems without judicial review.

Additional measures McCormick advocates address incarceration-related benefits, proposing escrow accounts for disabled veterans' compensation above 10% during imprisonment. Her agenda also highlights healthcare workforce shortages in Puerto Rico, where nearly 64% of veterans are aged 65 or older, by recommending tax code changes to attract medical professionals.

The McCormick platform further advocates for maintaining current Gold Star Family recognition standards and reviewing military award processes to ensure equitable consideration for National Guard and Reserve personnel. Particular attention is given to the proper recognition of traumatic brain injuries through Purple Heart eligibility.

McCormick's endorsement of these measures comes as Congress prepares to consider several veteran-focused bills in the ongoing legislative session.

The comprehensive package aims to address what McCormick describes as systemic gaps in veterans' healthcare, benefits administration, and service recognition.