Elfreth Reconvenes Veterans Advisory Council

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Yesterday, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, hosted a Veterans Advisory Council Roundtable ahead of Veterans Day. This was the second convening of this group this year.

"Ahead of Veterans Day, I reconvened our Veterans Advisory Council to hear directly from our Third District veterans and deliver an update on my work on the Armed Services Committee to improve veterans' access to care here in Maryland. During the government shutdown, it was especially important to hear from our veterans, as nearly 1 in 3 federal employees are also military veterans," said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth. "This Council is one of the many ways I hear directly from our veterans, active servicemembers, and their families. As the daughter and granddaughter of Army, Navy, and Air Force veterans, I know the sacrifice that these men and women have made, and it's why I'm determined to uplift their voices here in the halls of Congress."

At the roundtable, Elfreth delivered an update from her work as a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the bipartisan Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus (PATH) Caucus, including an update on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Elfreth also delivered an update on the government shutdown. During a government shutdown, all VA medical facilities and clinics will remain fully operational. However, VA benefits regional offices and certain hotlines cease to function, and Veterans Benefits Administration public contact services are not available. Veterans at the roundtable reported delays in disability applications and GI processing. Additionally, veterans are disproportionately impacted by the shutdown, as nearly 1 in 3 federal employees are also military veterans.

Maryland's Third District is home to more than 50,000 military veterans. A Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Elfreth is the only member of Congress from Maryland on a committee or subcommittee focused explicitly on national security issues. During the month of November, Elfreth's office is collecting stories of veterans in Maryland's Third District for the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.

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