Washington, DC – U.S. Rep Katie Hill (D-Agua Dulce) continues her work on behalf of local veterans and military families through legislation and local events, while the White House threatens military funding cuts in California.

Last week, Hill announced she was an original cosponsor of the Ensuring Safe Housing for Our Military Act. This bipartisan legislation increases accountability and oversight over private contractor-provided housing for military families, to address serious health, safety, and environmental problems.

“Our district is rooted in service, and the military families in our community deserve a safe, clean, and reliable place to call home,” Hill said. “This bill would ensure our service members and their families get the accountability they deserve from private contractor-provided housing. I have spent my career addressing the issue of housing affordability and I couldn’t be prouder to stand alongside my friend, Congressman Mike Levin, to cosponsor this critical bipartisan legislation.”

The bill is sponsored by Congressman Mike Levin (CA-49) and is also cosponsored by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Elaine Luria (VA-2), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-7).

“It is unacceptable that some military families around the country have little or no recourse when private contractors provide substandard housing,” Levin said. “This bipartisan legislation is an important step in holding private housing companies accountable and empowering military families, and I will continue to work with members of both parties to support America’s servicemembers.”

Hill visited Coffee 4 Vets, a local weekly event in Lancaster, on Tuesday, bringing together veterans of all military branches to address community issues and local resources.

“Our veterans community is robust, diverse, and deserves access to the best possible resources. Coffee 4 Vets is an incredible venue to have in-depth conversations about the issues facing our local vets and how we can solve them,” Hill said.

The group addressed access to healthcare, with a focus on the need to provide better transportation options — an issue especially important for senior veterans. Insufficient mental health and substance abuse counseling are also a great concern.

Hill shared her family’s military background and spoke to the group about the constituent services her office provides. At the end of the breakfast, special recognition was given to the women veterans in attendance.

“I am looking forward to continuing our work on behalf of our veterans and military families,” Hill said. “At a time when our president is threatening to pull mission-critical military construction funding from California, it is more important than ever to assure our service and defense community that we stand with them.”