Servicewomen & Women Veterans Congressional Caucus Launched

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joined fellow servicewomen and women veteran Members of Congress Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Elaine Luria (VA-02), and Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)  in announcing the creation of the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Congressional Caucus (SWWV) on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Together, these four women represent the largest number of women veterans ever serving in a session of the House of Representatives.

“Now is the time to address the issues that plague our servicewomen and women veterans,” said Caucus Chair Rep. Houlahan. “These brave women warriors keep us safe and protect our democracy. That is why we’ve launched the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Congressional Caucus. We four women will lead from our lived experiences serving this country and are flanked by men and women, Republicans and Democrats. We have a mission to serve the women who are and have served this country. Our marching orders are set, and we will not stop until we’ve accomplished what we’ve set out to do.”

“With increasing numbers of women serving in our U.S. military, our caucus will provide a platform to address issues related to their service as well as ensuring they get the care they need from the VA when they lay down the uniform,” said Caucus Vice Chair, Rep. Gabbard. “I’ve served in the Army National Guard for over 16 years, deployed twice to the Middle East, and still serve as a Major today. I look forward to bringing the perspective gained through this experience to our caucus where we can be a voice for women serving now, and create a better future for those who will join our ranks in the years to come.”

“We come together today to establish this caucus because we don’t want to be the last to fill these shoes,” said Caucus Vice Chair, Rep. Luria. “When I served as a nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer, there weren’t many women who served alongside me, but that is changing rapidly. I look forward to seeing the next generation of women veterans in Congress.”

“Women have played an integral role in our armed forces since the Revolutionary War, and today represent the largest growing population of veterans in the United States,” said Caucus Vice Chair, Rep. Sherrill. “Yet it was clear during my service, and now in conversations with female veterans in my community, that the challenges faced by servicewomen are often left unmet. We are forming this caucus to bring our perspective as female veterans to our colleagues, and to work to ensure Congress does more to support both women currently serving and women veterans.”

“The forming of the Servicewomen & Women Veterans Congressional Caucus by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, is a much need step forward for all women that have served and continue to serve this country,” said Maj. Gen. USA (R) Jeffery Phillips the executive director of the Reserve Officers Association. “This caucus will ensure our nation’s female heroes are getting fair and equal representation throughout their military service and as veterans. ROA fully supports this newly formed caucus and looks forward to working with all the members to achieve their goals.”