Press Release

Rancho Cordova – Today, Congressman Ami Bera (CA-7) delivered remarks at the Mather Veterans Village dedication. Congressman Bera has been a strong supporter of the village, by securing 50 additional housing vouchers for the project from both the VA and HUD, which was key to keeping the project on schedule. He also participated the groundbreaking of the project in October 2014, and his office has worked to provide services and information to many of the veterans who will be living in the village.

"We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude and respect for the sacrifices they've made to keep our country safe," said Congressman Bera. "This facility is more than a place for veterans who need a place to sleep – it's a community of servicemembers who can offer support in many forms to help veterans get back on their feet. I'm proud to have played a part in securing assistance from the federal government to complete this project on time. Mather Veterans Village is a model facility for the county that shows how to provide care for our men and women who have served so honorably."

Congressman Bera has championed veterans' causes in Congress, including fighting for more transparency at the VA. In Sacramento County, Bera's office has held several resource workshops and career fairs specifically for veterans, and has helped more than 1,700 Sacramento County veterans with their government issues, returning over $1.8 million in owed benefits to veterans and their families.

Bera has also co-authored and passed the bipartisan Healthcare for Heroes Act, which constructs a streamlined and easily accessibly electronic health record system for service members and veterans. This initiative will have the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs merge their electronic health records, to save money, help make the transition to civilian life easier for veterans, and help address the VA backlog.