Dear friend,

American veterans, service members and their families represent the best of our nation.

As a wife and sister of U.S. Army veterans, I know that I am here because of our veterans who sacrificed their safety and security for the sake of ours. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Serving those who have served in our nation’s uniform is one of my top priorities in Congress. I'm dedicated to ensuring that those we rely on for our safety can rely on us for getting the healthcare, education, housing assistance, and mental health resources they need when they return home. Please read on to learn more.

If you ever need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. I also encourage you to receive real-time updates on my work for you in Congress by following me on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram at @RepYoungKim. My team is here to serve you always!

My team stands ready to serve you. We can provide assistance with the VA and other federal agencies, connect you to local resources, provide Congressional recognition and advocate on your behalf at the federal level.

My Military and Veteran Liaison Brendon Moeller works hard in my district office to assist our local veterans. A West Point graduate, Brendon commissioned into the U.S. Army in 2013 and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He deployed overseas three times – twice to the Middle East and once to Africa. He completed eight years on active duty and subsequently completed a master’s degree at the University of Southern California.

To reach Brendon, please call my Placentia office at (714) 984-2440 or email him at brendon.moeller@mail.house.gov, and he will be happy to assist you.

As you know, many of our veterans are suffering due to exposure to burn pits and other deadly toxins as a result of their service.

I was proud to vote in favor of the Senate-amended Honoring our PACT Act which was recently signed into law. This bill:

• Expands health care eligibility for veterans exposed to toxic substances based on participation in toxic exposure risk activity;
• Improves training options for VA claims processors and health care personnel; 
• Directs the VA to make public health resources available for veterans exposed to toxic substances; and,
• Creates an interagency working group on toxic exposure research that includes the VA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services. 

I've also voted for bills to increase the rates of compensation for veterans and their families with service-connected disabilities, to increase the automatic maximum coverage under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program and to establish the Office of Food Security at the VA to ensure no veteran goes hungry. I will always vote with the best interests of our veterans and their families in mind.

I'm proud that one of my first bills signed into law was the Veterans and Family Information Act to help veterans and caretakers access the resources they earned by making all VA fact sheets available in the ten most commonly spoken languages besides English.

With an increasingly diverse population of veterans across the country, and with United States Veterans residing in the Philippines and in Puerto Rico, this bill ensures that our veterans and their caretakers whose first languages are not English are aware of and understand the VA’s benefits.

In addition to cosponsoring more than 50 bills concerning veterans, I am honored to help lead:

• The SERVICE Act, which creates a pilot program through the US Department of Justice that would provide grants to law enforcement agencies to create local veterans’ response teams made up of military veteran law enforcement officers that respond to other veterans in crisis;
• The Post 9/11 Veteran Business Acceleration Act, which establishes a joint pilot program between the VA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to allow eligible individuals to receive financial assistance for business operations instead of educational aid; and,
•  A bipartisan resolution supporting National Veterans Small Business Week and celebrating the achievements of veteran-owned small businesses across the nation.

Hearing directly from local veterans, community organization leaders and gold star families across Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties allows me to fight for them in Congress and ensure their voices are heard.

During my first term in Congress, I hosted a veterans' roundtable in Brea, a pinning ceremony for 40 Vietnam era veterans and a Resource Fair to connect our local veterans with VA casework, employment training, housing support, healthcare access and more. 

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to stay updated on events near you!

Building a Veterans Cemetery in Orange County has been an issue close to my heart and a priority of mine since my time in the State Assembly. With an estimated 104,949 veterans, Orange County is the State’s largest county without a veteran’s cemetery.

I’m grateful that AB 1595 was recently signed into law, putting us one step closer to building the final resting place that our local heroes and their families deserve. Thank you to our local elected officials, community leaders and Orange County veterans for their tireless work on this important project!

We are able to enjoy our everyday freedoms because of the dedicated service and sacrifice of those who have answered the call to serve.

Earlier this year, I introduced two bills to rename a Placentia Post Office after U.S. Army Private First Class Jang Ho Kim, a Valencia High School graduate who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq, and a Yorba Linda Post Office after U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major Robert J. Cottle and Lance Corporal Rick J. Centanni, Yorba Linda residents and brothers in arms who lost their lives together in Afghanistan.

I'm proud to have the support of the entire California delegation in renaming these offices after our local fallen heroes who lost their lives too soon.

!As a member of the House Small Business Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development, I am committed to supporting veteran-owned businesses and ensuring our entrepreneurs have the resources they need to succeed.

Earlier this month, I was proud to help lead a bipartisan House Resolution to celebrate our nation’s 2.5 million veteran entrepreneurs who employ roughly 5 million Americans.

I'm so grateful to represent 27,000 military veterans across California’s 39th District. Rest assured that I will keep working hard to stand up for our veterans and their families.

As always, my office is here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to reach out for assistance.

I hope you have a fantastic Veterans Day weekend!