Veterans

Kendrick has a special place in his heart for veterans and the contributions they've made to our nation. His uncle and mentor, King George Pittman III, who was born in Tallahassee and lived in Sarasota, was an Army man all the way. Pittman served during World War II and the Korean War. For his bravery, Pittman was awarded the Purple Heart. He died in 2008 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Kendrick's advocacy for veterans comes in part from his uncle's experiences.

Hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than a million served in Vietnam, Korea, World War II, and other conflicts. Kendrick believes that our veterans deserve to be served as well as they have served us.

Kendrick has fought for veterans throughout his time in public service and will continue to do so. He believes that honoring our commitment to our veterans is a three-part strategy that includes:

• Protecting future veterans and today’s men and women in uniform so that they retire healthy and well-adjusted to civilian life
• Keeping the promises of lifetime health care, educational opportunity, and job training.
• Safeguarding their earned retirement compensation and the well-being of their families.

Protecting veterans while they are active means ensuring that they have the best training and equipment. Between 2003 and 2007, Kendrick requested and received funds for state-of-the-art Joint Operations Training Facilities at Camp Blanding. In 2008, he requested and received $4 million for a Weapons Skills Trainer to give Florida National Guardsmen theater-realistic training before deploying to the battlefield.

Protecting veterans while they are active also means ensuring their safety on the battlefield. In 2006, Kendrick aggressively pursued the use of multiple contractors to speed up the manufacture and supply of next generation body armor for our servicemen and women. In 2007, he spoke in favor of and voted for an initial $4.1 billion increase for production of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. These life-saving vehicles have resulted in a nearly 80 percent reduction in IED-related vehicle fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also spoken in favor of and voted for an increase in the pace of equipment reset and restock so that our troops are never found to be short of supplies and equipment.

Moreover, keeping promises to veterans means prioritizing funding for the Veterans Administration (VA). Kendrick advocated and voted for a $23 billion increase in VA funding to help with VA claims backlogs and increase access to health care. He co-sponsored legislation, which successfully passed in 2009, that provides for advance funding for the VA. This allows for greater efficiency in taking care of our veteran population.

Keeping our promise to veterans also means that we provide them top-quality health care for life. Kendrick helped secure funding so that non-service connected, Group 8 vets can receive VA health care. He co-sponsored a measure, which passed in June 2009, to fund and require gender-specific VA health care for our women vets for the first time. He also requested funds and continues to advocate for increased traumatic brain/spinal cord injury research, Agent Orange research, extended injury rehabilitation, and extended benefits for service-related, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kendrick believes that keeping our promises to our veterans also means that we give them the necessary help transitioning from military service back to civilian life. Kendrick supported the 21^st Century G.I. Bill, ensuring that our vets have educational opportunities and training to start new careers once they retire. He co-sponsored legislation to increase the maximum VA home loan guarantee amount, expand adjustable rate mortgage programs, eliminate equity requirements for refinancing, and provide foreclosure remedy programs. Kendrick is also a co-sponsor of the End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2010, which increases support for successful VA programs.

Finally, Kendrick believes that it is important to protect the families of our men and women in uniform. He has fought to protect their benefits. He co-sponsored legislation and wrote letters to members of Congress to convince them to allow retired service members to receive both their full retirement pay and full disability benefits. Kendrick is a co-sponsor of legislation that repeals unfair provisions requiring offsets in the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan annuities for surviving spouses of fallen servicemen. He is also a co-sponsor of a measure that provides for an annual, automatic cost of living adjustments for veterans’ compensation.

Kendrick also believes in protecting the well-being of military families. He co-sponsored the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 to provide caregiver training and mental health counseling, respite care, and financial support for families caring for an injured veteran. He filed legislation providing a $5,000 increase to the child tax credit for children of fallen service members. Kendrick also co-sponsored a measure that allows any retired service member with over 20 years of active duty to transfer any remaining educational entitlements to their children.

Florida is a state that is rich with active duty military and veterans, and Kendrick will be their strong advocate in the U.S. Senate.

Download the One-Pager for Kendrick's take on this issue.