Caring for those who have borne the battle

Long before I was a United States Senator, I served 23 years in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves, five years in a hot war in Southeast Asia and another 18 years after that as a P-3 aircraft mission commander. At the age of 17, as a freshman at Ohio State University on a ROTC scholarship, I placed my hand on the bible and swore to support and defend the Constitution.

With that oath comes many important responsibilities, but few duties are more sacred to me than caring for our veterans. This Memorial Day, as we reflect on the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who gave their lives for our country, we must also look to the veterans who are still with us.

In Delaware, we’ve made progress in recent years to provide our veterans with the accessible, comprehensive, affordable healthcare they are owed. Unfortunately, far too many still fall between the cracks.

President Trump and our Republican friends in the House of Representatives have proposed plans that together would cut $1 trillion from Medicaid – a safety net p

rogram that many of our veterans and their