Kelly Celebrates Inclusion of Bills into MilCon-VA Package

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is celebrating the inclusion of several of his bills into the annual Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations package, saying, "These are real changes that will make a difference for servicemembers, veterans and their families in Arizona, and I'm proud to have worked with my colleagues to get it done."

Among the bills folded into the MilCon-VA is Sen. Kelly's Aviator Cancers Examination Study (ACES) Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to produce a study in conjunction with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on cancer and resulting mortality rates among active-duty crew members of fixed-wing aircraft in the US Armed Forces and previously passed the Senate in June.

Second is the Counting Veterans' Cancer Act, which improves the reporting of cancer among veterans, while another bill demands research into non-opioid pain-relief medications for distribution to veterans, with medical marijuana research specified in a separate bill.

Finally, Sen. Kelly was also able to secure $22 million for the construction of a new Child Development Center at the Luke Air Force Base in Maricopa County, $171 million for the Grants for Construction of State Extended Care Facilities Program, and over $3.4 billion for programs to prevent veteran homelessness.

"As a Navy combat veteran, I've seen firsthand how much our servicemembers and veterans sacrifice, and I know the cost when they don't get the support they've earned," the Arizona Senator said in his press release, adding, "That's why I fought to expand access to health care, strengthen suicide prevention, and support addiction treatment that saves lives."

"By delivering a new child development center at Luke, we're meeting the real needs of Arizona's military families," Kelly concluded. "These are real changes that will make a difference for servicemembers, veterans, and their families in Arizona, and I'm proud to have worked with my colleagues to get it done."

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.