After 40 years of service, Shawn knows firsthand what it means when we say we leave no one behind. Washington is failing too many veterans, and he will fight to protect the VA, cut wait times, expand local care, and turn military service into lasting economic opportunity.
Protect the VA and rural care:
- Stop arbitrary budget cuts and oppose the push to privatize veterans’ healthcare.
- Make sure rural veterans in Northwest Georgia do not have to drive for hours just to see a specialist.
- Restore support staff so doctors can focus on treating veterans and clinics can cut wait times.
Congressional office support:
- Place a dedicated VA specialist in each of Shawn’s three offices to assist veterans and their families, especially spouses.
- Host quarterly clinics throughout the district.
Transitioning out support:
- Modernize the GI Bill to include emerging technical fields, trade schools, and flexible online learning platforms.
- Revamp the Transition Assistance Program so service members get localized career counseling, resume support, and financial literacy training months before they hang up the uniform.
Slashing red tape:
- Integrate military and VA medical records to provide a seamless transfer of medical data and avoid treatment delays.
- Prioritize hiring claims processors to reduce wait times for claims and benefits determinations.
Crisis support:
- Expand 24/7 crisis resources, including the 988 Veterans Crisis Line.
- Increase funding for evidence-based treatments for PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and military sexual trauma (MST).
- Grow local trauma care, peer-support networks, and suicide prevention programs so no veteran has to struggle alone.
Family and spousal support:
- Increase access to transitional information for spouses whose service member is leaving active duty.
- Enhance stipends, legal aid, and mental health respite care for family members who sacrifice their own careers to care for severely wounded or aging veterans at home.
Women veterans’ care and equipment:
- Overhaul the “male default” equipment and prosthetics practice by requiring gender-specific equipment and prosthetics that match female anatomical proportions.
- Mandate and fund full-time women’s health clinics, specialized mammography equipment, and full-time OB/GYN staff at every regional VA hub.
Job training and opportunity:
- Invest in job training that turns real-world military skills into lasting economic opportunity.
- Support active duty, National Guard, Reserve forces, and veterans alike with the dignity they have earned.
