WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced her co-sponsorship of three pieces of legislation to give back to the military men and women who have given of themselves through service on American soil or combat in areas of conflict.

“For all the heroics, there are scars that many veterans wear – whether physical or mental – that deserve our respect and attention,” said Murkowski. “Alaska has over 70,000 veterans, and the honors that have been bestowed upon them must not be devalued; women veterans needing care for psychological, physical and mental wounds inflicted by their peers must be treated fully and fairly.”

The bills that Murkowski is backing would:

• Protect veterans’ service from being devalued by imposters who attempt to profit by lying about their military service. The Stolen Valor Act (S.210) would make it a federal crime to lie about receiving a military decoration or medal in order to profit or benefit financially.
• Help women veterans receive disability benefits for PTSD and depression resulting from sexual assault or harassment during their service. The Ruth Moore Act (S.294) would allow women the same conditions for benefits as combat veterans who suffer from PTSD.
• Ensure that drone pilots do not receive a higher commendation than combat veterans. S.470 would prohibit the Defense Department from ranking the newly-announced Distinguished Warfare Medal higher than the Purple Heart – given to soldiers wounded or killed in action. (Murkowski wrote the Defense Secretary about this last week.)