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Rep. Harder Statement Ahead of Veterans Day

November 10, 2023

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) released the following statement ahead of Veterans Day:

“On Veterans Day, we honor and remember those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe and we recommit ourselves to fighting for them just like they fought for us. Because of our veterans’ courage and bravery, we can be here today with our freedoms intact - the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, the freedom to live our lives in pursuit of our own unique American dreams. That’s why I’ll never stop fighting to make sure our veterans have access to the health care and benefits they deserve.

“Today isn’t just about the service of the past – it’s also about what veterans have done for our future. This Veterans Day, my wife Pam and I are going to have a conversation with our almost two-year-old daughter, Lillian about our family’s history of service. Her great-grandfather served in World War II defending our freedoms from terrible evil, and her other great-grandfather fought in Vietnam. Future generations need to know about our veterans’ history.


“To our veterans throughout San Joaquin County – thank you. Happy Veterans Day.”

In 2021, Rep. Harder successfully passed legislation extending benefits to more than 34,000 veterans experiencing bladder cancer, Parkinsonism, or hypothyroidism due to toxic exposure during their service. Rep. Harder worked to pass the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which was enacted last year to extend medical and disability benefits to U.S. Military veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other toxic substances during their service. When Rep. Harder was little, his grandfather died due to exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam, so getting veterans the care they need is personal to him.

Right now, there is an ongoing crisis at the Stockton VA clinic – patients are waiting up to 90 days for an appointment and when they finally get an appointment, oftentimes they’re canceled last minute. Rep. Harder has been working to get the national VA to fix the doctor shortages that are leading to these unacceptable wait times. In September, he held a packed town hall at the Manteca VFW to hear directly from San Joaquin veterans and push the VA to fix the shortage of doctors at the Stockton VA clinic.

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