Press Releases

Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), released the following statement after being awarded the 2023 Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award by Paralyzed Veterans of America:


“As a Marine Corps veteran, it is an honor to continue serving our nation’s heroes as Chairman and working with organizations like Paralyzed Veterans of America, who advocate so well for not only our veterans with spinal cord injuries, MS, and ALS, but also their families and caregivers,” said Chairman Bost. “I am humbled to receive PVA’s congressional leadership award, named after Gordon Mansfield, an Army veteran and true leader within the veteran community. This recognition is particularly special given that over the past few years we were finally able to get important legislation like the AUTO Act and my reforms to the S-DVI life insurance program, which has a real impact on our spinal cord injury veteran community, signed into law. But the fight does not stop there. I look forward to continuing to work with PVA to keep sight of the promises this country has made to all veterans to ensure they receive the safe, best care and services they have earned.”

“PVA is honored to bestow this year’s Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award to Chairman Bost, who is an avid supporter of America’s Veterans, including those with disabilities,” said Robert Thomas, U.S. Army Veteran and National President of PVA. “We look forward to continuing to work with him on countless other vital issues and ensuring the needs of today’s catastrophically disabled Veterans are properly and expeditiously addressed.”

PVA established the Gordon H. Mansfield award in 2015 to recognize strong leadership and specifically noted Chairman Bost’s unyielding commitment in supporting veterans with spinal cord injuries and disease. His leadership was vital in passing several pieced of legislation important to paralyzed veterans, such as the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022, which expands eligibility for disabled veterans to obtain vehicles modified for their disabilities, the STRONG Act, which addresses and expands mental health support provided by the VA; the Veterans Economic Recovery Act, which enhances veterans’ employability; and the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvements Act, which included reforms to the Service-Disabled Veterans Life Insurance program. The Chairman also played a key role in ending the requirement for disabled veterans to unnecessarily reapply for VA clothing allowances year over year.