This Year, Honor Our Veterans By Giving Them The Legal Services They Need

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ motto—taken from President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural address—is “[T]o care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” A great deal has been written about our failure to care for our veterans by not providing them the best possible healthcare through the VA health system—and  progress has been made on that front. But we cannot pretend that quality healthcare for veterans in crisis does not include helping with their legal problems. This Veterans Day, Congress should enact the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act so that our veterans do not have to face homelessness and health decline as a result of preventable and fixable legal challenges. There could be no greater way to honor those who have served.