Washington, DC — Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) today praised Speaker Nancy Pelosi for raising veteran issues at the CNN Town Hall last night. National discussions about policy issues that matter to Americans must continue to highlight the importance of taking care of our veterans.

“We want to thank Speaker Pelosi for raising veterans issues, and highlighting that ‘“Our support for our veterans is unifying’,” said Jeremy Butler, CEO of Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). “We urge Congress to stay committed to these issues, The “Deborah Sampson Act” (S.681) has already passed the House, and we call upon the Senate to pass this bill.”

Since 9/11, at least 500,000 women have served. The population of male veterans is expected to decline in the next decades, while the population of women veterans will continue to increase. Since 2018, IAVA has made equality for women veterans a priority with its “She Who Borne the Battle” campaign. In 2017 IAVA worked with Congress to create the Deborah Sampson Act, to ensure that women veterans are receiving quality healthcare at a time when women seeking care at VA hospitals has risen by nearly 80%.

IAVA is a non-partisan organization that strongly believes veterans issues have the potential to unite Americans across the political divide.