Today, nearly 22 million Americans hold the distinguished title of Veteran, and more than 127,000 of those individuals live in our great State of Maine. As the daughter of a World War II Purple Heart recipient, Senator Collins learned first-hand of the sacrifice that these heroes and their families make to advance the cause of freedom. Fighting on behalf of our nation’s Veterans, Senator Collins has worked to support the needs of Veterans nationwide by protecting access to rural health care, holding the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable in the wake of scandal, and expediting the process for disabled veterans to get the services they need.