Dear Friend,  On Memorial Day weekend, we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation and its ideals. As we grieve the dead, we must remember the living. The families of fallen soldiers have often lost not only a mother, father, child, or best friend, but a provider. One of the most meaningful ways to honor these brave individuals is to provide unwavering, sustained support to their families and the veterans who are still with us.  President Biden signed the bipartisan PACT Act into law last summer to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides generations of veterans—and their survivors—with benefits and care for exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. We can’t stop there. As Speaker McCarthy and his colleagues hold the economy hostage, it’s critical Congress protects veterans’ health care, educational benefits, childcare, provides affordable housing, and fully funds the VA.  Another area I am laser-focused on is ensuring veterans have equal access to the same state-legal medical marijuana programs as their counterparts outside the VA system. I can’t tell you how many times veterans have told me that cannabis literally saved their lives. Study after study indicates that cannabis can ease some of the worst symptoms of PTSD and alleviate chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.  However, outdated federal policies prevent VA doctors and health care providers from even talking to veterans about state-legal medical marijuana. This denies veterans the same access to care as other patients in their state. It forces veterans to go outside of the VA system to take advantage of state-legal medical marijuana options, threatening their continuity of care, adding extra costs and preventing VA doctors from fully meeting their patients’ needs.   Last month, I introduced the Veterans Equal Access Act to change that. My legislation would finally allow VA providers to offer recommendations and answer veterans’ questions about the benefits of medical marijuana. This legislation can help thousands of veterans at no cost to the VA.    This weekend, we honor those who lost their lives in service and redouble our efforts to support the veterans who are still with us, their families, and the family members of those we have lost.  For updates on my work, be sure to like and follow my official Facebook and Instagram, @congressmanearlblumenauer.