National Invest In Veterans Week® Responds to Congressman Bilirakis’ Call to Invest in Military and Veterans
National Invest In Veterans Week® welcomed renewed calls from Congress to invest in military families and veterans, highlighting housing, economic stability, and entrepreneurship as inseparable priorities. As policymakers push for safer living conditions and stronger support systems, NIVW President Angel Shuford emphasized that sustainable veteran success begins with foundational investments that allow veterans and military families to thrive, lead, and build long-term economic impact nationwide.
As national attention intensifies around the conditions facing America’s servicemembers and veterans, remarks from Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) are adding urgency to a conversation long championed by veteran-led civic initiatives.
In a recent interview with The Floridian, Rep. Bilirakis underscored the need for significant federal investment in military and veteran housing, citing decades-old infrastructure, environmental hazards such as mold, and the real health consequences facing military families—particularly at installations like MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. He also highlighted recent federal investments supporting low-income veteran housing projects in Florida and Oregon, pointing to scalable models for national action.
For National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW)—the congressionally recognized observance held annually March 1–7—Bilirakis’ remarks reflect a broader policy moment where veteran quality-of-life issues are intersecting with economic development, housing, and workforce stability.
Angel Shuford, President of National Invest In Veterans Week®, emphasized that housing security is inseparable from veteran entrepreneurship and long-term economic readiness.
“When we talk about investing in veterans, housing is foundational,” said Shuford. “A veteran cannot build a business, transition into leadership, or sustain a family when basic living conditions are unsafe. Congressman Bilirakis’ remarks reinforce what veterans have been saying for years—this is not a partisan issue, it’s a national responsibility.”
Shuford added that the growing alignment between lawmakers, veteran advocates, and economic stakeholders creates an opportunity for broader federal recognition.
“We are hopeful that the momentum we’re seeing—across housing, workforce development, and veteran-owned business policy—continues to rise to the level of a formal presidential proclamation or an expanded congressional statement recognizing the economic and civic role veterans play nationwide,” she said. “National Invest In Veterans Week® exists to make that impact visible, measurable, and impossible to ignore.”
Since its founding, National Invest In Veterans Week® has been recognized through congressional entries, state legislative resolutions, and county-level proclamations, spotlighting veteran-owned businesses while advancing policy conversations around capital access, employment, and community reintegration.
As lawmakers like Rep. Bilirakis push for tangible investment in veteran well-being, veteran-led platforms such as NIVW continue to serve as connective infrastructure—linking policy intent with real-world outcomes for military families and veteran entrepreneurs across the country.
Learn more: https://www.investinveteransweek.com
Source article: The Floridian – “Gus Bilirakis Calls for Investing in Military and Veterans” (Dec. 19, 2025)
Read the full article here: https://floridianpress.com/2025/12/gus-bilirakis-calls-for-investing-in-military-and-veterans/
National Invest In Veterans Week® Commends Wisconsin's Historic Budget Investment in Veterans Following 2025 Observance
In the days following National Invest In Veterans Week® 2025, Wisconsin delivered a decisive policy response. Governor Tony Evers’ 2025–2027 budget commits more than $250 million in combined tax relief, housing, mental health services, cultural preservation, and capital upgrades for veterans—demonstrating how states can translate recognition into real, structural investment. Wisconsin’s approach reinforces a central principle of National Invest In Veterans Week®: veteran empowerment is strongest when economic policy, healthcare, housing, and workforce development move together.
Original Source: Gov. Tony Evers Press Release via PublicNow – March 20, 2025
Just days after the close of National Invest In Veterans Week® 2025—a federally trademarked and congressionally recognized observance dedicated to empowering veteran entrepreneurs and strengthening the veteran economy—Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a landmark address on March 20, 2025, outlining the state's sweeping budget initiatives to support its 300,000 veterans and their families.
The timing was not coincidental. As the nation’s leading veteran-focused observance concluded on March 7, Wisconsin stepped forward with a model of actionable investment, turning words into appropriations.
Governor Evers’ 2025–2027 Executive and Capital Budget includes:
$66 million in expanded property tax relief for veterans with disabilities
$23 million in renter-based tax credits for veterans
$21.9 million for operations at state-run veterans homes
$5 million for mental health and suicide prevention services
$2 million for veterans housing, job training, and rehabilitation programs
$1 million to expand outreach and recovery programs
A 5% increase for Tribal and county veteran service offices
$137 million in capital upgrades to Wisconsin’s veterans homes
$6.2 million to prepare for the expansion of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum
This comes amid Governor Evers' public opposition to federal job cuts at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—cuts which reportedly affected nearly 6,000 veterans. Wisconsin’s assertive response stands in stark contrast, signaling a bold commitment to local veteran well-being amid national uncertainty.
A Policy Echo of National Invest In Veterans Week®
Founded in 2019 by Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford, NFL veteran Drayton Florence, and LTC Rickey L. Pope (Ret.), National Invest In Veterans Week® has worked to institutionalize veteran empowerment across state and federal levels. The initiative’s mission has been clear: to reframe veterans as builders of the next economy, not simply recipients of support.
The week-long 2025 observance included:
CCS Global Tech’s March 3rd report emphasizing the financial ROI of hiring veterans
Refuel Agency and Prospect Capital’s March 10th partnership supporting Team RWB and Avalon Action Alliance
Assisted Living Locators’ historic franchise initiative recognizing National Invest In Veterans Week® as early as 2020
Hivers & Strivers’ $80M in startup capital for veteran-led businesses
ePackageSupply.com’s $1B-backed expansion reinforcing the economic power of veteran ownership
Wisconsin’s Budget: A Sophisticated Case Study in Post-Observance Activation
Governor Evers’ budget reinforces what National Invest In Veterans Week® has consistently advocated: veteran investment must be multi-dimensional—combining tax policy, housing, healthcare, mental wellness, education, and cultural preservation.
Where other states commemorate, Wisconsin capitalizes—not on sentiment, but on infrastructure. The integration of mental health initiatives, economic development, and museum-level cultural investment demonstrates a recognition of veterans not only as past heroes, but as present and future civic assets.
Governor Evers’ message—delivered in his own words over state radio—echoes National Invest In Veterans Week®’s own foundational call: “We must protect, defend, and support those who’ve protected, defended, and supported us.”
Learn More and Engage:
National Invest In Veterans Week® is celebrated annually March 1–7. It is a registered trademark and recognized in the Congressional Record for its transformative impact on the veteran community.