Monday, May 16, 2011

AUSA Awards Sen. Murray "Outstanding Legislator"

The Association of the United States Army will present Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, with its Outstanding Legislator of 2011 Award at a Capitol Hill ceremony June 8.

Sen. Murray is receiving the Outstanding Legislator Award based on her long-time and strong support for the Army as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee and Military Construction Subcommittee, and on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and now as the Veterans’ Affairs committee chair.

Murray is known in the Senate as a fierce advocate for veterans. She has advocated for increased funding for military and veterans research and care for PTSD/TBI. She supports community based veterans health clinics. She supports increased TRICARE coverage for RC soldiers and helped pass the legislation creating the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

She recently introduced the “Hiring Heroes Act of 2011,” a veterans’ employment bill that would authorize all returning veterans to receive broad job skills training and require that servicemembers attend a transition assistance program before they leave the military. The bill also would create new direct federal hiring authority to permit faster vet hiring, as well as improving veteran mentorship programs in the work sector.

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