Veterans for Kirwan
We are obligated to support those who have risked their lives and made sacrifices for us. We need to ensure all veterans and servicemembers receive the support and benefits they deserve and have earned.
Kirwan recognizes that supporting veterans means supporting their families throughout and beyond service. He’s committed to addressing military spouse unemployment—which runs 4-5 times the national rate—through remote work incentives, interstate license portability, and expanded childcare. He’ll fight to end the national security crisis of food insecurity among junior enlisted members earning in the low $20,000s by increasing pay and expanding on-base housing, ensuring no deployed service member worries about their family’s basic needs.
Michael Kirwan stands firmly against VA privatization, recognizing that veterans choose VA care because it uniquely addresses their specific needs, from PTSD and toxic exposures to blast injuries and military sexual trauma, at a scale civilian hospitals simply cannot match. Rather than draining resources through outsourcing, Kirwan’s plan focuses on what veterans truly need: fully staffing VA facilities, expanding mental health services with same-day access, and modernizing clinics. With veteran suicide rates nearly double those of non-veterans, Kirwan understands that keeping our promise to those who served means strengthening, not dismantling, the VA system that serves them best.
Endorsed By
Gene Kendall
US Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.)
Mark Stevens
US Navy Capt. (Ret.)
J. Bryan Cooksey III
US Army Capt. (Ret.)
Norm Anderson
US Air Force Major (Ret.)
Jim Love
US Navy Capt. (Ret.)
Bill Gillespie
US Army Lt. Col. (Ret.)
Larry Smith
US Air Force Captain (Ret.)
Bill Shannon
US Navy Rear Admiral (Ret. RADM)
Fred Guyer
US Navy Captain (Ret.)
John Waidner
US Navy Lt. Cmdr (Ret.)
Amy Garrett
US Navy Lt. Cmdr (Ret.)
Restore the Department of Defense name
The Department of War is a name that does not reflect our values nor why our service members volunteered to serve and defend our country.
We must Preserve and Strengthen the VA – Oppose Privatization
Veterans prefer VA over private care for a reason – VA care best addresses the needs of Veterans. Civilian hospitals do not treat PTSD, toxic exposures, blast injuries, amputee rehab, military sexual trauma and combat-related mental health on the scale performed by the VA.
Privatizing the VA drains away resources the veterans need.
The solution is not outsourcing but staffing up. We need to expand access to mental health care and modernize clinics.
Veterans kept their promise – we keep ours by protecting and strengthening the VA.
We must continue to focus on Veteran Suicide Prevention
In 2022, the suicide rate for veterans was 34.7 per 100,000 compared to 17.1 per 100,000 for nonveterans.
We need to fully staff VA mental health services and increase same-day access for mental health visits.
We must lower the unemployment rate for military spouses
Military spouse unemployment is 4-5 times the national unemployment rate in any given year. This is causing spouses to suffer a career penalty and depriving military families of wages needed to maintain a good quality of life.
We must incentivize remote work for military spouses, pursue interstate professional license portability, and expand childcare.
Military Pay and Food Insecurity
Enlisted base pay starts in the low $20k a year range. Many enlisted members can qualify for food assistance especially those with families.
We need to offer more on-base housing for service members with families and we need to increase pay – especially for our junior ranks.
Our service members should not be worrying about whether their families can pay their rent and buy enough food. This is a national security issue. When our service members are deployed they should not be worrying about these things.
Transition to Civilian Life
We need to be sure that our service members and their families successfully transition to civilian life. We also need to better educate our civilian community on the skills that our veterans bring to our civilian community.
