2016 GA Senate race: on Homeland Security

Jim Barksdale: Protect our military installations from BRAC closures

Those who put on a uniform to protect our values and our freedom need a country that shows its gratitude by honoring them with timely high quality health care. Our Veterans should never be used as political pawns in the games the Washington crowd plays, and the failures of the Veterans Administration must be addressed in a straightforward and fair way.

Georgia's 752,000 Veterans and their families--including many that live in rural counties without easy transportation options to VA facilities--need to be able to get timely high quality health care where they live. Jim will work with the VA and hospitals to find a fair and equitable way to get Veterans the health care they've earned.

Derrick Grayson: Stop borrowing money to fight unjust, undeclared wars

• 900 military bases in 150 countries is not the answer...that is an empire
• Bring our troops home immediately
• Giving up liberty for safety never works
• Non-intervention, as advocated by our founders, rather than being the world's policeman
• Stop borrowing and printing money to fight unjust, undeclared wars
• Stop sending tax payer money as `foreign aid` to sovereign nations

Derrick Grayson: Give veterans priority for treatment and services

• No service member should come home damaged and have to fight for treatment
• No service member should be homeless
• Computerize VA records
• Make information inter-departmentally available electronically
• Hire civilian doctors to evaluate the urgency of care thus removing the adversarial review board that routinely denies care after service benefits
• Give veterans priority in transitional services

Derrick Grayson: Reform VA care for veterans to reduce suicides and shootings

Grayson expressed his concern for the number of recent suicides at Ft. Hood: 22 in 2010, 10 in 2011 and 19 in 2012, claiming that the high rates are completely unacceptable. Grayson suggested that reform of the Department of Veterans Affairs--especially the way it handles the medical records of military members--could offer a solution to the problems that cause shootings such as this one. "Veterans' biggest complaint was it could take years to get the care they needed," he said. "VA records need to be computerized. Remove the adversarial review board that routinely denies care after service benefits. Give veterans priority in transitional services. I will fight for our veterans."