The Veterans and Military Families Caucus champions the interests of our veterans and their families and advocates to ensure the benefits they have earned in service to our nation are protected. Our country has a sacred, moral responsibility to honor all of our veterans and wounded warriors. The Caucus works to bring more veterans with aligned values into the DPNM and to ensure the DPNM carries out its responsibility to support issues specific to veterans and their families.
The VMF Caucus will accomplish our mission through these Courses of Action (COA). Some COAs are intended primarily for fellow caucus members –-> Internal Audience. Other COAs are focused outward on those individuals and organization we wish to collaborate with and influence –-> External Audience. Some COAs encompass engaging both audiences.
- CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE where members share their concerns and issues with the Caucus leadership to facilitate our accurate and effective advocacy on their behalf.
- PROVIDE links to available services and assistance in finding the right service providers to meet members’ needs.
- EDUCATE our members about relevant pending and passed legislation, methods to communicate with their elected officials, and opportunities to testify during the legislative session.
- ENCOURAGE veterans and military family members, who embrace the values of our DPNM platform, to participate in politics from voting to advocating to running for office.
- ADVOCATE at the local, state and national levels of government, including for legislation, program funding, and other support for issues specific to our Caucus members and the VMF community.
- SEEK out candidates and elected officials who are potential advocates for VMF, advise them on relevant concerns and issues, and solicit their support.
- ESTABLISH relationships with governmental organizations that serve veterans and hold them accountable to providing top quality and reliable services.
- COLLABORATE with organizations – partisan, bipartisan, non-profit, and others – that have common goals to strengthen our influence and ability to achieve our goals.
- BE A CONDUIT of information to our members and partner organizations for resources, legislative priorities, and guidance on modes of activism to garner support.
- INFORM the DPNM of the VMF community’s issues and raise awareness among the VMF community that the DPNM supports them and welcomes their participation and membership.