Standing Up for Nevada’s Veterans: A Progressive Vision for Our Heroes

As an independent Democrat running to represent Nevada’s Second Congressional District (NV-02), I believe that how we treat our veterans is a direct reflection of our values as a nation. According to the Nevada Political Journal, Nevada's military-connected population is about 260,000, which includes approximately 202,000 veterans. Many of these veterans continue to encounter obstacles in accessing health care, stable housing, and employment. Our district’s incumbent, Mark Amodei, has not prioritized solutions that address these issues, instead placing party loyalty and corporate interests above the needs of those who have served our country. It’s time for a change.

According to voting records and a report from the AFL-CIO, Mark Amodei voted against the PACT Act, which sought to expand VA healthcare eligibility and provide additional benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and other hazardous substances in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• He voted against increased funding for VA mental health services and suicide prevention initiatives, despite Nevada’s high veteran suicide rates.

• Amodei has repeatedly supported budgets that threaten to cut Social Security and Medicare programs upon which many veterans rely.

• According to an inspection by the Office of Healthcare Inspections, the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno is experiencing staffing shortages, with 20 vacant positions among 40 primary care teams, and ongoing challenges in recruiting physicians for rural clinics.

Our veterans deserve better than neglect and lip service. As your representative, I will fight for progressive, practical policies that honor our commitment to those who served.

My Top 10 Progressive Priorities for Nevada’s Veterans

1. Guaranteed Health Care for All Veterans

   • Expand VA health care eligibility to all veterans except those with dishonorable discharges. It is critical to maintain current policy, which excludes individuals with dishonorable discharges from receiving VA benefits, with rare exceptions for certain bad conduct discharges considered on a case-by-case basis. I am committed to fully funding clinics in Reno, Carson City, and rural northern Nevada to ensure all eligible veterans have access to high-quality care.

2. Mental Health First

   • Dramatically increase funding for VA mental health and suicide prevention. Launch rapid response crisis teams and peer-support programs tailored to rural and Indigenous veterans.

3. Affordable Housing Now

   • Invest in affordable and supportive housing for veterans, with targeted programs in Washoe, Lyon, and Elko counties to prevent homelessness.

4. Job Training and Union Careers

   • According to the Nevada Office of Energy, new workforce development initiatives support veterans by providing services like scholarships and vouchers for tools, PPE, and other essentials aimed at helping them enter fields such as renewable energy, technology, and skilled trades. These programs also focus on assisting under-resourced communities and facilitating access to fair employment opportunities.

5. Women and LGBTQ+ Veterans’ Rights

   • Ensure women and LGBTQ+ veterans have access to gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and protection from discrimination within VA systems.

6. Combating Toxic Exposure

   • Support full implementation of—and expansion to—the PACT Act, ensuring all toxic exposure claims are processed efficiently and compensation is delivered quickly.

7. VA Facility Modernization

   • Invest in new VA clinics and mobile health units for rural communities, eliminating long drives and wait times for basic care.

8. Veterans’ Education and Debt Relief

   • Expand GI Bill benefits to cover apprenticeships, community college, and student loan forgiveness for veterans and their families.

9. End Veteran Homelessness

   • Launch a “housing first” initiative with local governments and nonprofits; no veteran should sleep on the street in Nevada.

10. Accountability and Oversight

• Establish a Nevada Veterans’ Advocate Office to monitor, report, and resolve problems with VA services locally, ensuring transparency and direct input from veterans themselves.

A New Era for Nevada’s Veterans

Lastly, I support the Major Richard Star Act, which will eliminate the offset of VA disability benefits from military retirement pay. I also support maintaining any offset to military retirement pay from other government retirement pay.

Our campaign is built on listening to veterans, their families, and the communities that surround them. According to a recent announcement from the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, efforts are underway to improve health care infrastructure for local veterans, aiming to provide safer and more effective patient care.

Mark Amodei has had more than a decade to deliver for Nevada’s veterans, yet the same problems persist. It is time to put our veterans first with bold action, not empty promises. As your representative, I will work across the aisle, hold the VA accountable, and never stop fighting until every veteran in NV-02 receives the honor, support, and opportunity they deserve.

Our veterans fought for us. Now it’s time we fight for them.