Senate to Pass Major, Bipartisan Reform Bill For Our Nation’s Veterans This Week
‘What Sen. Isakson and his colleagues have put together is one of the most comprehensive reform packages for veterans’ healthcare since the VA was created in 1930. It builds on the substantial success of the Veterans Choice Act and harnesses provisions of fifteen different Senate-introduced bills. This bill streamlines support systems, expands access to care, and provides new tools for attracting and re-training top caregivers.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the House-passed VA MISSION Act of 2018:
“In the coming days, the Senate will take up landmark legislation on one of our top priorities: Providing more options and better care to America’s veterans. The VA MISSION Act is a major milestone in an ongoing effort by Chairman Isakson and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to ensure our nation fulfills its promises to our men and women in uniform -- including more than 300,000 veterans in my home state of Kentucky.
“What Sen. Isakson and his colleagues have put together is one of the most comprehensive reform packages for veterans’ healthcare since the VA was created in 1930. It builds on the substantial success of the Veterans Choice Act and harnesses provisions of fifteen different Senate-introduced bills. This bill streamlines support systems, expands access to care, and provides new tools for attracting and re-training top caregivers.
“The veteran who lives far from a VA facility but needs frequent follow-up care will now have easier access to local providers and walk-in clinics. The wounded warrior navigating difficult pain-management routines will now be served by providers with clearer guidelines for opioid prescription. And the retired servicemember who relies on a family caregiver will rest assured of expanded eligibility and program benefits for veterans of all eras.
“It’s hardly surprising this bill has such a broad, bipartisan coalition of support, including the endorsement of thirty-eight of the nation’s leading veterans advocacy organizations. I look forward enthusiastically to considering it in the coming days. I urge every one of my colleagues to support this worthy legislation and send it on to the president for his signature. It is not merely our duty, but our privilege, to improve and enhance the care available to those who have given so much.”
Related Issues: Veterans, Health Care, America's Military
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