• Co-sponsored the Veterans Health Budget Reform and Transparency Act to ensure advance appropriations for VA healthcare to end the chronic underfunding of VA health care (Public Law 111-81, 2009).
• Worked to make the VA Mat-Su Community Based Outpatient Clinic a reality (2008)
• Sponsored the Wounded Warrior Transition Act. Included in the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (2009). Ensures members of the Reserve Component who suffer wounds and injuries on the battlefield are not discharged from active duty until their conditions are fully evaluated; they continue to be paid, receive health care through the military system, and have access to JAG lawyers who can explain their rights to see disability retirement from the military.
• Expanded the Qualified Veteran Mortgage Bond program to allow veterans of the 1st Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan to be eligible for low-rate home loans.  Alaska is one of five states in the country that is eligible to participate in the QVMB program.
• Original co-sponsor of the Women’s Veterans HealthCare Improvement Act
• Co-sponsored the Post 9-11 GI Bill to update and improve educational benefits for veterans and their families at a critical time in the negotiations, which resulted in more generous benefits being enacted to assist our nation’s veterans.
• Pushed the VA to expand their pilot program allowing rural veterans to receive care in Community Health Centers and Native health facilities; the VA added access to behavioral healthcare and improved coordination with providers (2009).
• Negotiated provisions in the Higher Education Opportunity Act to:

1. Permit students to receive the maximum Pell Grant if one of their parents died while performing military service in Iraq or Afghanistan;
2. Place a cap on the federal student loan interest rate (6 percent) if the service member is called to active duty;
3. Permit borrowers who have received a VA disability determination to have their student loans forgiven by the U.S. Department of Education without having to meet different requirements.

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