Ed note: this was originally posted on the CFPB’s blog

When I was at Fort Drum, NY last week I heard from a military spouse who said her family has been separated for four years – partly because of deployments but also because they can’t sell their house. At the same meeting an officer told me that he is underwater on a home he bought at a previous assignment. He wondered if there were any options for him that wouldn’t ruin his credit or require a large sum of money he didn’t have.

I’ve had conversations like these repeatedly in my travels to military communities across the country during the past year. The housing crisis has had a devastating impact on military homeowners, and their unique challenges have made it difficult for them to get help. So I’m glad to see that important protections for military homeowners were included in the recent settlement between the Federal government, 49 state Attorneys General, and five of the largest mortgage loan servicers: Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial.

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A bill that would create a treatment court for veterans suffering from drug addiction and mental illness passed its first hurdle today, gaining unanimous support from the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.

“This is an important first step towards meeting the unique needs of our veterans,” said bill sponsor Rep. Maeghan Maloney who sponsored the legislation. “The legislation will now move forward so we can stop treating some veterans like criminals instead of heroes.”

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Congressman Mike Michaud offered an amendment to H.R. 1734, a bill which would establish a BRAC-style commission to identify ways for the federal government to save money by reducing its inventory of federal properties and consolidating government agency offices.

Michaud’s amendment, which failed to pass, would have ensured that facilities providing health care, job training and homelessness assistance to veterans would be exempt from the consolidation process. During his floor speech, Michaud cited the need for VA to have the flexibility to provide care to an aging veteran population as well as the 2.3 million soldiers who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

“I applaud the other side for looking for ways to cut government spending, and there are clearly improvements to be made in the area of federal properties, but we can’t pursue the goal of reduced government spending at the expense of our veterans,” said Michaud. “As Ranking Member of the VA Health Subcommittee, I have heard firsthand the difficulty veterans have with accessing care, and threatening to close facilities through a BRAC-style process will only worsen the problem.”

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President Barack Obama outlined his Veterans Jobs Corps today. The proposed Corps will hire Veterans to work in our National Parks rebuilding roads. Police and fire stations will also prioirtize Veterans as workers. And a network will match skill sets with jobs. Here are highlighted segments of his speech:

“The war in Iraq is over. The war in Afghanistan is moving to a new phase — we’re transitioning to Afghan lead. Over the past decade, nearly 3 million service members have transitioned back to civilian life, and more are joining them every day. . .

“Our veterans are some of the most highly trained, highly educated, highly skilled workers that we’ve got. These are Americans that every business should be competing to attract. These are the Americans we want to keep serving here at home as we rebuild this country. So we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that when our troops come home, they come home to new jobs and new opportunities and new ways to serve their country.

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Michelle Obama at the announcement of Joining Forces with medical facilities to help vets with PTSD. ap photo

“I’m inspired to see our nation’s medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families. By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they’re ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.

As part of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) committed to creating a new generation of doctors, medical schools, and research facilities that will make sure our heroes and their families receive the care worthy of their sacrifice. Recognizing veterans, service members and their families’ dedication and commitment, 130 schools associated with the AAMC and AACOM pledged to leverage their missions in education, research, and clinical care to train the nation’s physicians to meet the unique health care needs of the military and veterans communities.

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President Obama issued and Executive Order which will allow victims of military sexual assault to keep their conversations with advocates confidential.

“Far too many of our men and women in uniform don’t seek help when they’ve been sexually assaulted. A lot of that is due to a fear of retribution from their attackers—often superiors—if they say anything,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. “They go it alone for fear of jeopardizing their careers, which is a tragedy. We need to better protect these veterans so they feel comfortable getting help. Letting them know their conversations are confidential is a big step. As we address the critical problem of military sexual assault, we have to continue breaking down barriers that keep victims from getting the assistance they need and deserve.”

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President Obama signs Returning Heroes Act

In September, President Obama called on Congress to enact tax credits that will help get veterans back to work. The Returning Heroes Tax Credit provides businesses that hire unemployed veterans with a maximum credit of $5,600 per veteran, and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit offers businesses that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities with a maximum credit of $9,600 per veteran.

“When I sent Congress a jobs bill I proposed a tax credit for any business that hires a veteran who’s been unemployed for at least four weeks. I proposed an even bigger tax break if a business hires a veteran who’s been unemployed for at least six months. And if a business hires an unemployed veteran with a disability related to their service, I proposed doubling the tax break that we already have in place,” said President Obama. “Today, because Democrats and Republicans came together, I’m proud to sign those proposals into law. And I urge every business owner out there who’s hiring to hire a veteran right away.

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A bill that would establish a specialized treatment court for veterans suffering from drug addiction and mental illness will be considered next year when lawmakers reconvene for the second session of the 125th Legislature.

“As a grateful state, we must continue to honor military service members by providing them with an alternative to incarceration: proper treatment for mental health and substance abuse problems resulting from military service,” said bill sponsor Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D- Augusta, in her comments to Legislative leadership. “The establishment of veterans’ treatment courts will address the unique challenges veterans face as a result of their honorable service.”

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