AUGUSTA, NJ (Sussex County) — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) recently joined with Michael Tully, a United States Army Veteran and Sussex County resident, to discuss how he helped Michael receive hard-earned, lifesaving health care benefits from the VA.
In 2018, Michael was diagnosed with cancer related to the pesticides he encountered while serving in Vietnam.
For a year, Michael received little to no response from the VA, but after meeting Gottheimer at Sussex County’s Annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon, he decided to reach out to Gottheimer and his Constituent Casework team.
In less than two months, Gottheimer was able to contact the VA, track down Michael’s claim, and get a decision from the VA to cover 100% of his medical bills related to cancer from herbicide exposure encountered while serving our nation, and an additional 10% disability coverage for tinnitus.
Gottheimer cut through bureaucratic red tape and Michael was able to receive life-saving benefits and protect his hard-earned retirement.
“To every veteran, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your service, for putting your lives on the line to defend our freedom, our families, and the greatest democracy the world has ever known. There is nothing more important in this job than my responsibility to have the backs of those who have served our great country. Whether that’s at the VA, a mental health issue, or helping a veteran get a job when you come back home please know this: after sacrificing so much, you should never struggle to get the care or recognition you have earned. These are not Democratic or Republican issues — they are principles of the country we live in, the one you helped protect, under the flag we all salute,” Gottheimer said.
“I’d call [the VA] up, and they would say: ‘it’s under review, it’s under review, it’s under review.’ So I decided, what can I do here? I saw that you [Congressman Gottheimer] were at the Sussex County Annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon… and I’ll never forget it, you said: ‘if there’s ever a situation where you need my assistance, I’m just a phone call away…’ So, I went home, sent out an email, and within a week your team got back to me. At that point, I don’t think it was a month until I started to get all kinds of feedback from the VA,” said U.S. Army veteran Michael Tully to Gottheimer. “I started to say, this is remarkable, and from that point on, they were on it, and I have you to thank.”
Gottheimer also presented Tully with a Vietnam Veteran Memorial pin and an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for his service.
If you are experiencing an issue with a federal agency, Gottheimer and his constituent services team can listen and help with VA benefits, Social Security, Medicare, passports, delayed IRS refunds, and more.
For more information and resources, Contact Gottheimer in Glen Rock at 201-389-1100, in Newton at 973-940-1117, email at josh.gottheimer@mail.house.gov, or visit gottheimer.house.gov.
