To the Editor:

When our young men and women go abroad to protect the American people, we need to be sure that they are supported appropriately once they are back home.

As we have all become aware, the Veterans’ Administration has not been looking after our returned vets as they should especially in relationship to their health care.

We people in New Hampshire have a senator in Jeanne Shaheen who has been a stalwart in leading the legislative charge to better support veterans’ health care and other benefits.

In 2009, she introduced a bipartisan Veterans Health Equity Act which would approve and fund a full-service medical center in New Hampshire. While still working on this issue, she has successfully fought for new veterans’ clinics in the North Country, Keene, and Manchester.

Sen. Shaheen sponsored legislation to expand mental health care for the National Guard, Reserves, and their families which is now the law. She has been able to increase funding for homeless veterans, too.

In 2013, Shaheen was critical of the Obama administration’s inability to cut down the wait times for veterans’ health care services. Consequently, she introduced legislation to fund legal clinics designed to help cut down on the veterans’ benefits backlog.

In 2014, Shaheen cosponsored an expansion of veterans’ health care, tuition and job training benefits.

Earlier in 2011, she cosponsored legislation that would give businesses tax credits for hiring vets. For vets trying to start their own business, Shaheen introduced legislation that would give them a lower cost small-business loan.

The evidence is in, Sen. Shaheen has been fully supportive of our veterans in many ways. We can thank her for that outstanding work and continue to support her re-election this coming fall.

Nancy Iannuzzelli

Amherst