Veterans Affairs

Background

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Bell works everyday to support our active duty servicemembers and their families. But that support cannot end when they return home. Supporting our troops means supporting veterans and their families who risked their lives everyday for our freedoms with quality healthcare, safe housing, and economic opportunities. Congressman Bell is working to ensure that the government and the Department of Veterans Affairs is fully staffed, efficient, and catering to the needs of our veterans. He is pushing back on the Trump Administration’s efforts to cut medical and mental health services.

Legislative Actions:

• Introduced the Healthy Servicemembers Act, which directs the Secretary of Defense to screen and register service members and their families who develop medical conditions resulting from living in unsafe military housing.
• Led a letter with more than 35 members of Congress condemning the Department of Defense’s decision to administratively separate service members with long-term medical shaving waivers which disproportionately harms Black service members, undermines troop morale, and needlessly reduces military readiness.
• Secured a provision in the annual defense bill to expand eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance by excluding Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) payments from household income calculations, helping more military families qualify for assistance and afford nutritious meals. 
• Supported a significant pay raise for servicemembers, providing up to a 7% increase for junior enlisted personnel, 6% for mid-grade enlisted troops and junior officers, and 5% for senior officers.
• Co-led a bill that will enable military retirees and 100% disabled veterans to continue contributing to their retirement accounts even after separation from service.