State Rep. Nancy Guenst Found Herself At The White House Recently In Support Of Vet Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A local state representative recently found herself in the nation's capitol mingling with some high-up American officials, including the president himself.

Nancy Guenst, a Democrat representing the 152nd Legislative District in Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, visited the White House on Nov. 30 for the signing of four bills designed to help our nation's military veterans.

"As an Army veteran, I know how my fellow veterans have often struggled when they have returned to civilian life," Guenst said in a statement. "We have an obligation to care for our veterans after they have sacrificed so much for our country, and these laws will help do that."

The four bills Guenst witnessed being signed into law by President Joe Biden were S. 1031, S. 894, S. 1095, and S. 796.

Guenst's office offered the following explanation of each of the four bills:

• S. 1031 requires the Government Accountability Office to assess whether there are disparities associated with race and ethnicity when it comes to Veterans Affairs benefits and disability ratings.

• S. 894, which is also known as the 'Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021,' directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a program to recruit military medical workers who have less than a year left in their service to work in federal healthcare occupations.

• S. 1095, or the 'Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act,' ensures that spouses and children of veterans who have died during their service, and who access the Survivors' and Dependents' Education Assistance Program, are eligible for in-state tuition wherever they choose to attend school, whether or not they reside in that particular state.

• S. 796, also called the 'Protecting Moms Who Served Act,' commissions a comprehensive study of maternal health challenges that face military veterans and invests in maternal care coordination programs at the VA.

Guenst, who was elected to represent the 152nd Legislative District in November 2020, is a military veteran herself. She joined the U.S. Army back in 1976, and went on to serve between 1977 and 1979 as an analyst and German translator at Field Station Berlin, according to her biography on her senatorial website.

"As a veteran, she understands the challenges that veterans face in life after service and will fight to protect Pennsylvania's veterans and secure more funding for their health care and benefits," reads a portion of her bio.