Biden and Trump failed military families. I hope Harris can change that.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the most qualified candidate in the 2024 presidential election, but as a military spouse, I am worried her policies might fall short in addressing the unique challenges and needs of military families ? just as past administrations have.

On Thursday night, Harris will take the stage to officially accept the nomination as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. During her speech, we will likely hear about several of her policy plans. I hope to hear about how Harris as president would support military families better than past presidents.

Every election cycle, candidates talk about their plans to increase military pay, support military spouse employment and licensure, and provide more accessible and comprehensive health care to military families and veterans ? but the reality is they often fall short.

Programs intended to support military families are frequently underfunded or inadequately implemented, leaving families to fend for themselves. This pattern of neglect has led to a deep sense of frustration and distrust among military communities.

Military families struggle with health care

In Harris' speech, I want to hear her talk about better health care options for military families. Currently, our families struggle to receive adequate care at our local duty stations either because the military health care system is overwhelmed or families live in a health care desert.

When my family was stationed in upstate New York, we had to travel more than three hours each way for my son to see a developmental pediatrician. He was diagnosed with autism, and there were no specialty care doctors near where we lived. We made the trip to Albany from Watertown regularly, costing us family time and money.

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One of the most pressing issues for military families is the employment and licensure barriers faced by military spouses. Frequent relocations often require us to restart our careers in new states or countries, where we must navigate complex and inconsistent licensing requirements.

That not only hinders career progression but also contributes to financial instability and increased student loan debt within military households.

While there have been efforts to address the issue such as the Military Spouse Employment Act, including initiatives to streamline licensure across states, these measures have not solved the problem.

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I also want to hear Harris speak about immigration, the challenges that foreign-born military spouses face when seeking citizenship to the United States and how the administration will work diligently to avoid deportations of military spouses of the more than 90,000 U.S. service members who are not American citizens.

For military families, policies that address health care, education and employment are essential. We need a leader who understands the unique challenges we face and is willing to make our well-being a priority.

From what we’ve seen so far, Harris’ platform does not yet fully address these critical areas. Military families need more than just promises ? we need action. We need an administration that will work with military families to develop policies that truly address our needs, rather than simply offering lip service.

Harris has experience to help meet families' needs

With Harris’ extensive government experience, commitment to justice and ability to navigate complex political landscapes, she is well-positioned to address the problems within the Department of Defense and offer immediate and tangible solutions to better support military families.

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Harris has consistently championed policies aimed at uplifting the marginalized and protecting vulnerable populations.

While I do believe Harris is undoubtedly the best candidate in this election, I urge her to take a closer look at the needs of military families and commit to making our lives better.

Marla Bautista is a military columnist for USA TODAY Opinion.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harris' big DNC speech needs to focus on how she will help families