Gerry Connolly is proud to represent tens of thousands of active and retired military families. He believes there is no duty more sacred than providing for their well-being. To fulfill our obligation and honor our troops and veterans Connolly has fought to ensure they have full health coverage, better pay, and access to veteran's services throughout their lives.
He introduced and passed the Helping Active Duty Deployed (HADD) Act to protect service members from cell phone and housing lease early termination charges when they are deployed. He cosponsored legislation to limit increases on TRICARE premiums, provide free postal benefits for troops in combat zones, provide disability compensations for PTSD, allow military retirees to pay their health care premiums with pre-tax dollars, require mental health and traumatic brain injury screenings, and provide education and support services for family caregivers.
He also cosponsored legislation to ensure that the health care reform bill will not harm TRICARE or TRICARE for Life. In addition, he cosponsored legislation to take the Veterans Administration, which operates the largest integrated health care system in the world, out of the annual appropriations process and provide more consistent, reliable funding. Our Military Kids, an organization dedicated to helping military children, recently awarded him the "Friend of Military Kids" award for his work on behalf of military families.
