PVA Members Advocate on Capitol Hill
When Rachel Ploeger opened the large oak door to U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans’ Washington, D.C., office, she was nervous. The talking points she had rehearsed—legislative priorities alongside her personal story—swirled in her head. Her meeting was scheduled for just 15 minutes. Would she have enough time to make her case?
Ploeger, a Colorado resident and member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Mountain States Chapter, had traveled to Washington in June for PVA’s annual Advocacy Legislation Seminar. She joined about 175 PVA members, caregivers and staff from across the country, including Mountain States Chapter member and Board President Erin Cavit.
After a day of training, participants spread out across Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers in a concentrated push to build support for legislation affecting veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). Their priorities included protecting the Department of Veterans Affairs’ SCI/D system of care, improving bowel and bladder services, increasing compensation for veterans with the most severe disabilities, and increasing survivor benefits.
Over two days, they visited about 300 congressional offices. While Cavit met with lawmakers and congressional staff from New Mexico, Montana and Wyoming, Ploeger focused on Colorado.
One meeting was in the office of Rep. Evans, R-Colo. Inside, beneath Colorado and American flags, Ploeger was greeted by two aides. She told them how a trip to Washington at age 15 inspired her to join the Air Force. She shared how she was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and how the care she received through the VA SCI/D clinic far exceeded the care she had received in private health care. When Ploeger shared statistics about the high prevalence of multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among veterans, the aides were “blown away,” she said, and asked, “How can we help?”
The meeting, originally scheduled for 15 minutes, lasted more than an hour—a testament to the impact of face-to-face advocacy. The experience, Ploeger said, was “powerful” and helped strengthen relationships she and other PVA members can build on as they continue to advocate for veterans.
Top: Chapter members Rachel Ploeger, left, and Tom Wheaton, seated, meet with Colorado Rep. Brittany Pettersen, right, during PVA’s Advocacy Legislation Seminar in Washington, D.C. Wheaton also serves as PVA’s national treasurer.
National Programs & Advocacy
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is a national veterans service organization that provides advocacy, benefits representation, and specialized expertise to support veterans living with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D).
