Sen. Cruz Receives Award from Blind American Veterans Foundation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Blind American Veterans Foundation awarded U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) the George “Buck” Gillispie Congressional Award for his efforts on behalf of veterans and sensory disabled veterans. It is named in honor of “Buck” Gillispie, a pioneer in the field of blind rehabilitation.
About the award, Sen. Cruz said:
“In my home state of Texas, we have 15 military bases, and veterans comprise seven percent of the Texas population of 30 million people. In the Senate, I take very seriously my responsibility to make sure our veterans and our active duty military are supported and have what they need to thrive. I think it’s one of our most important responsibilities to honor and support the brave men and women who wear our nation’s uniform while they are serving and when they come home.”
About Sen. Cruz, the BAVF said:
“Thank You Senator for years of hard work and dedication for all Americans especially those who sacrifice so much for our nation. With someone like you actively in their corner our blind and visually impaired veterans have a fighting chance to achieve independent accessibility in the country they sacrificed so much for.”
View pictures of Sen. Cruz with BAVF leadership here.
Sen. Cruz is a tireless leader in supporting Texas military and veterans communities.
- He led the fight to address long wait times for veterans, successfully passing an amendment requiring the VA Secretary to provide Congress with a plan to address the long wait times for veterans seeking health care at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.
- In 2018, he introduced the Veterans, Employees, and Taxpayers (VET) Protection Act of 2017, to ensure union activity does not undermine the service and care of our veterans and is not subsidized by taxpayers.
- In 2021, he introduced the VA AID Act to streamline U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs claims processing and ensure the appropriate benefits are sent to eligible low-income, senior veterans in a timely manner.
- Earlier this month, Sen. Cruz introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce the burden faced by members of the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans seeking to transition to careers as Merchant Mariners.
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