I will continue to work to ensure our men and women in uniform and their families have the support they need.
I will continue to work to ensure our men and women in uniform and their families have the support they need.
Occurrences
Evidence
Senator Tillis’s official military page says he has been a champion for North Carolina’s military, improved quality of life for servicemembers and military families, secured more than $2.6 billion for military installations, and secured six consecutive pay raises for servicemembers.
Tillis said the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel had bipartisan consensus on priorities including another pay raise for servicemembers, accountability measures to improve military housing conditions, and impact aid for local educational agencies with military dependent children. The markup highlights also included spousal employment support and improved health care for servicemembers and their families.
Tillis announced he secured multiple priorities in the FY2022 NDAA to improve lives of servicemembers and military families, including a 2.7 percent military pay raise, expanded bereavement leave, increased parental leave, a pilot for military spouse hiring, TRICARE carrier screening coverage, and impact aid for military children with severe disabilities.
Congress.gov shows Tillis introduced S.2817 and referred it to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The bill would expand readjustment counseling and related mental health services through Vet Centers to family members of veterans or servicemembers who died by suicide.
Congress.gov shows Tillis introduced the TEAM Act, which would improve Department of Veterans Affairs health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
Senators Thom Tillis and Kirsten Gillibrand announced Senate passage of their resolution commending the “Donut Dollies” for their patriotic service and steadfast support of United States servicemembers in combat and honoring their contributions to the morale and well-being of servicemembers during wartime.
Tillis introduced the Care for Military Kids Act, legislation that ensures servicemembers can maintain critical health care coverage and medical services for their children regardless of where their service takes them.
Assessments
The promise was broad but action-oriented: Tillis pledged to continue working to support servicemembers and military families. During the Senate term following the 2020 reelection campaign, he sponsored or advanced multiple relevant measures, including NDAA provisions on pay, leave, military spouse hiring, TRICARE coverage, military children, housing, and health care, plus later bills focused on military children and veterans' family mental health support. These are concrete federal legislative actions within the promised policy area, so the promise is best treated as fulfilled in the same term. The effort badge is warranted because the record includes repeated legislative sponsorship and advancement, not merely statements.
Tillis made a broad promise to continue supporting servicemembers and military families, not a narrowly defined single-policy pledge. The evidence shows same-term activity after the 2020 reelection campaign that materially matches the promise: he advanced NDAA provisions on pay raises, parental and bereavement leave, military spouse hiring, TRICARE coverage, impact aid for military children, housing accountability, and related family supports. He also introduced bills addressing mental health services for military-connected families and toxic exposure care. Because the promise was framed as continued work and support rather than enactment of one specific program, this record is sufficient for full delivery in the same Senate term.