Female vets to form House caucus for women who serve

Female military veterans serving in the House say they're setting up a caucus that advocates for women service members and veterans. That's because the population of women who serve or have served is climbing, and they have different health issues than male veterans.

And many women with military service don't know what services the Veterans Administration offers them after they leave. Heading up the bipartisan effort is Pennsylvania Democrat Chrissy Houlahan, an Air Force veteran and newcomer to Congress.

The new caucus reflects the growing clout military veterans have in national politics after the nearly two decades that followed the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the next 25 years, female former service members are expected account for nearly one in five living veterans.