New York State Council

(Washington, D.C.) – “Vietnam Veterans of America applauds the introduction of the SERVICE Act,” said Jack McManus, VVA National President. “This legislation will save lives as it provides law enforcement with tools and training to help respond to veterans in crisis. We have seen the “suicide by cop” scenario played out all too often. With the appropriate training, police will have tools to both recognize and de-escalate such a situation and avoid unnecessary tragedy.”

The Supporting Every At-Risk Veteran In Critical Emergencies (SERVICE) Act (H.R. 3180), introduced to Congress by Representatives Dale W. Strong (R-AL), Lou Correa (D-CA), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Glenn Ivey (D-MD), would establish a pilot program to allow local law-enforcement agencies to use the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to establish dedicated “Veterans Response Teams” within departments to respond to

(Washington, D.C) — “Vietnam Veterans of America calls on Congress to pass the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act of 2023,” said Jack McManus, VVA National President. “The benefits in the bill reflect a sincere commitment to enhancing the well-being of our veterans. While the bill proposes commendable efforts to address critical issues affecting veterans, we have two concerns,” noted McManus.

“First, we are concerned that the bill’s focus on community care may diminish the quality and capability of the VA healthcare system itself. A large part of our membership are rural and aging veterans who value access to community care. However, Congress must ensure that the VA has sufficient funding to maintain the quality of care it currently provides at its own medical centers. Second, while we appreciate the effort to steward tax dollars, the unprecedented use of offsets in this bill may jeopardize critical programs like the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for

(Washington, D.C.) – “Vietnam Veterans of America applauds the introduction of the SERVICE Act,” said Jack McManus, VVA National President. “This legislation will save lives as it provides law enforcement with tools and training to help respond to veterans in crisis. We have seen the “suicide by cop” scenario played out all too often. With the appropriate training, police will have tools to both recognize and de-escalate such a situation and avoid unnecessary tragedy.”

The Supporting Every At-Risk Veteran In Critical Emergencies (SERVICE) Act (H.R. 3180), introduced to Congress by Representatives Dale W. Strong (R-AL), Lou Correa (D-CA), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Glenn Ivey (D-MD), would establish a pilot program to allow local law-enforcement agencies to use the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to