English: St. Louis, Mo — On Monday, August 20, Senator Claire McCaskill will kick off a statewide "Vets For Claire" listening tour, where she will meet with veterans in all four corners of the state to discuss the clear choice in this election between Claire, a Senator consistently on the side of Missouri's veterans, active service members and their families; and Todd Akin, a candidate who's repeatedly voted to cut funding for veterans programs, opposed additional assistance for veterans returning from the front line, and cast the deciding vote against a bonus for our troops."

"As the daughter of a World War II Veteran, keeping the promise to our veterans is personal for me," said McCaskill. "I've been so honored by the support I receive from veterans across the state and I want to make them proud. When I vote in the Senate to expand access to health care for rural veterans, create educational benefits for our young veterans, or I'm working to clean up the mismanagement at Arlington, I do it with veterans like my dad in mind. Todd Akin has repeatedly voted against these essential programs, showing once again that he's not on the side of Missouri's veterans and military families."

During his 12-year career in Congress, Todd Akin has voted four times against increased veterans programs, has voted against extending TRICARE to National Guard members and reservists, and opposed paying the health insurance costs of active duty military families.

As a founding member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, Claire led the charge to pass the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which was designed to boost the number of jobs available to our veterans. She also helped pass the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which was modeled after the GI Bill that helped her father attend college. Together, these bills helped veterans get back into the workforce by awarding tax breaks to employers who hire veterans, provided easier access to job training programs and gave financial assistance to those veterans who wish to further their education.

When it was discovered that thousands of graves at Arlington National Cemetery were mislabeled, Claire used her position as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight to make sure the remains of our fallen veterans were properly respected and honored. She cleaned out the leadership and made sure Army leadership was held accountable for its mistakes.

Ensuring all veterans have proper access to the healthcare they need has been a top priority for Claire. As a daughter of rural Missouri, Claire has paid special attention to rural veterans who have to drive further for their treatment at VA hospitals. Claire fought to raise the mileage reimbursement rate for rural veterans, so that they are not being financially punished for receiving the health care they need.

Claire not only fought for access to VA hospitals, she has also fought for expanded access to mental health services and improved conditions at VA hospitals. As we continue to learn more about the impact of conditions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Claire continues to fight for expanded access to mental health services. When Claire learned of mistreatment at St. Louis' Cochran VA facility, she helped institute a "secret shopper" feedback program that allowed veterans greater input and more accountability for the health care they receive.

Claire's statewide listening tour kicks off Monday in Festus and will include stops in all four corners of the state.