Tom Barrett

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

The complete record

Every one of 10 lines we hold for Tom Barrett, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.

This is not an official version of US Congress proceedings. It reproduces the published record and links to it; the official version is the one US Congress publishes.

1. “Finally, I thank Ensign Flaherty's family for working with me to make this a reality. Stories like his deserve to be told and honored, and his family has been committed to doing just that. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 9570.”

   House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗

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2. “That same year, I led the effort to rename a portion of M-50 through Charlotte the Ensign Francis Flaherty Memorial Highway. That bill passed the Michigan Legislature unanimously, and this bill, H.R. 9570, can honor him once again. Naming the post office in Charlotte the ``Francis C. Flaherty Post Office Building'' is another small token of our Nation's and our community's eternal gratitude for his selfless devotion to duty, exceptional bravery, and the ultimate sacrifice he made for our Nation. I thank the entire Michigan delegation for joining this bipartisan effort to honor Ensign Flaherty and memorialize his bravery during one of the most tragic events in our Nation's history, and special thanks to Senator Peters, who is committed to moving this bill through the Senate.”

   House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗

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3. “Ensign Flaherty is the reason that the death count was not higher, for the lives that he saved. Because of his selfless sacrifices, fellow sailors lived to continue the fight. For those of us in Charlotte, Francis Flaherty truly is the definition of a hometown hero. Through a miraculous occasion, his remains were eventually identified using DNA technology nearly 80 years after his death, and his family and our community then brought him home. I was honored to play a part in that effort. On August 21, 2021, thousands of people from Charlotte and across Michigan came together in a solemn procession through town for a man they never had the chance to meet, concluding with the burial in Maple Hill Cemetery. We finally laid Ensign Flaherty to rest in Charlotte alongside his parents.”

   House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗

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4. “And, finally, my Home Affordability for Guard and Reserve Act to empower more of our National Guard and reservists to take advantage of the VA Home Loan Program. Today, they would wait 6 years to qualify for the VA Home Loan Program. Under this bill, they will qualify once they return home from their training and are in good standing with their unit. Mr. Speaker, I worked hard on these bills for nearly 2 years, and they and more than 50 other bipartisan bills just like them are all major wins that will improve the lives of our Nation's heroes. I thank Chairman Bost for his work on this legislation, and I look forward to the passage of this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''”

   House of Representatives16 July 2026Source ↗

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5. “The Sharri Briley & Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act will finally deliver the first notable increase in over 30 years to our most severely disabled veterans and our Gold Star families who have sacrificed so much. My Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act and my Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act, which will ensure that every veteran can understand the messages and communications they receive from the VA in a simplified manner and even opt in to get them electronically. My Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, which will make it easier for veterans to schedule medical appointments closer to home and easier to access. The Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act to strengthen oversight of VA acquisitions with the ginormous contracts that they often enter into.”

   House of Representatives16 July 2026Source ↗

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6. “Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. This package includes more than 60 bipartisan bills that modernize, enhance, and reform the delivery of healthcare and benefits for the entire veteran community. It also delivers numerous bills that veterans and VSOs across America have been vocal about, like the Major Richard Star Act, the Love Lives On Act, the ACCESS Act, the TAP Promotion and Expansion Act, and more. It also includes eight of my own specific bill priorities, including: The ASSIST Act and CRUISE Act, which will help disabled veterans and businesses make necessary and timely modifications to vehicles, ensuring that veterans have accessibility to move about.”

   House of Representatives16 July 2026Source ↗

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7. “When I was elected to the State legislature in Michigan 10 years ago, I became the only Iraq war veteran in the entire Michigan House of Representatives. I worked closely with my Federal Members of Congress to help veterans obtain their benefits. I maintained then that if I were ever in a position to make the process more streamlined and easier to understand, I would commit to doing that. This very first bill in Congress makes good on that commitment. I am proud to offer that today. Mr. Speaker, I thank you and the rest of the Chamber for taking up this bill for consideration. It is time to give America's heroes and their families a clear and efficient claims process that actually works for them. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill that would do just that.”

   House of Representatives7 April 2025Source ↗

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8. “Claims letters should be the catalyst to care and benefits and not the obstacle. That is where my bill comes in. H.R. 1039 requires the VA to make these notices clear, concise, and easy to understand while also streamlining the Department's overall communication with our veterans. As you heard already, it requires the VA to partner with an outside agency, not the bureaucrats within the VA, to make these communications easier and more streamlined for veterans to understand. Often, when you are working within the industry, it can be very difficult to put yourself in the position of those receiving these letters to understand what would be best absorbed by them. Our veterans serve the United States military with honor. They shouldn't need a lawyer or specially trained advocate to explain a claims letter to them.”

   House of Representatives7 April 2025Source ↗

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9. “I can tell you, I personally have seen this myself in applications and interfacing I have had with the VA and challenges you get when you receive things in the mail. It is hard to determine whether this is an update on the claim that I have filed, a resolution to that claim, or seeking more information, or is it simply a delay saying that they don't have a resolution to the claim yet? It can be very difficult to figure that out, especially if you have multiple claims within the same packet. When a veteran files a claim, it means they need help, yet too often they receive long, confusing letters full of legal jargon that leaves them with more questions than answers, ultimately leading them to call into a claims center or a helpline, which overburdens that and slows down the overall claims process. This is unacceptable.”

   House of Representatives7 April 2025Source ↗

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10. “Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my very first piece of legislation that I introduced as a Member of Congress, H.R. 1039, the Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act. This bipartisan bill, which I am proud to lead with Chairman Bost and Representative Budzinski, the ranking member of the subcommittee that I lead on Chairman Bost's committee, will make it easier for veterans to access the care and benefits they have earned by making significant improvements to our overly complicated claims process. Mr. Speaker, you have already heard from other Members today about issues with veterans filing claims and running into problems with forms, legalese, bureaucratic speak, and things that are not easily understood.”

    House of Representatives7 April 2025Source ↗

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