We also have an obligation to meet the practical needs of military families. We need to raise awareness about the invisible wounds suffered by our veterans. Tim Kaine to designate September 30 as National Veterans Suicide Prevention Day. And this year I led a bipartisan effort with Sen. In 2015, I wrote a law requiring service members to receive yearly mental health screenings, providing early help for at-risk individuals. I have been deeply concerned about the growing number of suicides among veterans and service members, which have continued to spike during the pandemic. More recently, I have supported bills to boost benefits for World War II veterans, expand mental health services for all veterans, and provide compensation to veterans who were forced to retire early because of disabilities. I also supported the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, which allows the VA to fire employees for bad performance. This law has reduced wait times by cutting red tape and removing restrictions on telemedicine and private care. I supported the VA MISSION Act to improve health care access for our veterans. I have also worked to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs, which for years failed to provide veterans with the care and respect they deserve. I am determined to make sure federally-run retirement homes have the resources needed to keep our retired veterans safe. This has come into focus recently as many of our nation’s retirement homes, including the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, have grappled with the coronavirus. One of my top priorities in Congress has been improving the quality of life for our veterans. Allen and veterans like him deserve our praise and recognition. When his family contacted my office earlier this year, my staff and I assisted with their application, and he received the medal in a surprise ceremony in Ridgeland. This man, Bill Allen, served as an Army platoon leader in Europe and fought courageously under enemy fire. Not long ago, I was privileged to help a family recognize their father, a World War II veteran, with a Bronze Star Medal on his 100 th birthday. As we continue to deal with the coronavirus, Veterans Day celebrations may look different from previous years, but our gratitude for our veterans has not changed. The opportunity to cast ballots in the recent election is one reason to be thankful for those who have defended our freedoms. We show our appreciation through parades, ceremonies, and simple words of thanks. Each year on November 11th, our nation honors those who have served in the U.S.
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