Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Introduces the Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick introduced the Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2023, legislation that aims to promote equitable access to resources at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“Those who answered the call to serve should be able to access quality, comprehensive benefits and services,” said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). “Unfortunately, far too many underserved veterans face persistent, unjust roadblocks when it comes to navigating the VA. This legislation will allow the Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans (ACMV) to provide equal access to earned benefits to a larger group of veterans, ensuring that all service members can obtain the services that they valiantly earned and delivering better outcomes nationwide.”
The Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2023 would extend the reach of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans (ACMV) to ensure all veterans receive equitable service from the VA regardless of race, origin, religion, or gender.
The scope of CMV and ACMV would be extended to include minority and historically underserved veterans including those:
- of Middle Eastern or North African descent
- who identify as belonging to more than one race or ethnicity
- who are LGBTQ+
- who belong to a religious minority
- who have language barriers
- lack U.S. citizenship status.
To include any groups that may be identified as underserved in the future, the bill also provides new authority to designate additional groups of veterans as “historically underserved.”
“Since the inception of the Department of Veterans Affairs, true equity has been elusive,” said Richard Brookshire, Black Veterans Project. “The Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2023 ensures no veteran is left on the margins, fostering an ecosystem of care, access and accountability that has too long been evaded.”
“American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is happy to endorse the Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2023,” said Danny Ingram, National President Emeritus of American Veterans for Equal Rights. “As the nation's oldest LGBTQ+ veterans service organization, AVER has been in the fight for the freedom to serve for over 33 years, and we are deeply aware of the harmful effects that DOD policies have had on our service members. Perhaps no group of veterans have officially suffered more trauma due to service under legal directives that caused double and triple levels of PTSD. No group of veterans are in greater need of a funded office from the VA than LGBTQ+ vets. We strongly support the passage of this much needed Act.”
“For some veterans, accessing the care and benefits they’ve earned remains regrettably out of grasp,” said Joy Ilem, National Legislative Director of Disabled American Veterans. “By defining, updating and expanding the scope of VA offices supporting minority veterans, the department can identify and determine how best to care for its historically underserved patients. We thank Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for her leadership on this crucial issue.”
The Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2023 is cosponsored by Reps. Sanchez (D-CA), Tlaib (D-MI), Budzinski (D-IL), McGarvey (D-KY), Gomez (D-CA), Castro (D-TX), Johnson (D-GA), Carbajal (D-CA), and Lieu (D-CA).
The legislation has been endorsed by several Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) including American Veterans for Equal Rights, the Black Veterans Project, Disabled American Veterans, and the Modern Military Association of America.