Alabama delegation votes to pass major VA overhaul; Trump expected to sign into law
With the support of the entire Alabama delegation, S. 2372: the VA MISSION Act of 2018 has passed both chambers and is now heading to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. The legislation – which puts the needs of veterans first by giving them the option of seeking care when and where it makes the most sense for their needs – combines provisions from fifteen different Senate-introduced bills, building upon the success of the Veterans Choice Act. The bill combines the VA’s multiple community care programs into one streamlined program, improves incentives to recruit, hire, and retain qualified medical professionals, and expands the VA’s Post-9/11 Caregiver Program to all eras. Dozens of veterans and military service organizations across the country endorsed the bill. Here’s what the Alabama delegation had to say about their votes and the legislation: Sen. Richard Shelby I am honored to support this milestone legislation that prioritizes brave veterans in Alabama and across the nation. This bicameral, bipartisan bill provides veterans with necessary access to efficient, timely, and quality health care services. As Members of Congress, it is our job to ensure the proper care of those who have risked their lives to protect our freedoms. 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: Another major piece of legislation is headed to President Trump’s desk for his signature. The VA MISSION Act consolidates the VA’s Community Care Program, opens the VA Caregivers Program to serve all veterans, and provides $5.2 billion to fund the VA Choice Program. Simply put, this bill increases access to care at the VA, including walk-in clinics that may be more convenient and immediate in addressing the needs of our veterans. 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: By passing the VA MISSION Act, the House has taken another important step toward improving access to care for our nation’s veterans. This legislation addresses a number of important pieces of the large VA puzzle, including extending funding for the Choice Program that countless veterans depend on to receive care. I believe this bill will reduce the bureaucracy associated with veterans seeking private sector health care and improve the lives of those who have served our great country. I’ve heard from countless veterans in Alabama’s Second District about the continued need for VA changes to ensure they get the best care available. I hope we will soon see this legislation signed into law.
Martha Roby: House passes VA bill, funds Choice Program
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed S. 2372, the VA MISSION Act, taking another critical step towards fulfilling our promise to make the Department of Veterans Affairs work for the men and women who have selflessly served our great nation. I was proud to support the legislation, and I am very pleased that it addresses a number of important pieces of the large VA puzzle. First and foremost, the VA MISSION Act extends and makes permanent funding for the VA Choice Program that many veterans depend on to receive care. You may have heard that Choice funding was set to expire at the end of May, and this bill prevents that from happening. In both densely populated and rural states alike, it can be very challenging for the VA medical centers to properly care for all veterans in a timely fashion, particularly when specialists are required. The Choice Program is an attempt to bridge this gap by allowing veterans to access private-sector care at VA expense if they have to wait longer than 30 days for a VA appointment or if they live more than 40 miles from a VA health care facility. It has been recorded that 550,000 veterans have used Choice so far this year, and in 2017, 14,790 Alabamians enrolled. Therefore, I am extremely glad that the House has taken action to ensure that this important program is funded. Secondly, the VA MISSION Act expands the VA’s Post-9/11 Caregiver Program to include veterans of all eras. Currently, only caregivers of veterans from the post-9/11 era are eligible for monthly stipends through the VA, and I believe expanding this program to caregivers of veterans from all eras will help ensure that more veterans receive the help they need. Finally, officials at the VA have said that their current physical footprint includes “hundreds of outdated or obsolete facilities,” and many of these facilities are often not in close proximity to large veteran populations. This is a gross waste and misuse of precious resources. Congressman Phil Roe, the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and author of the VA MISSION Act, said he believes a process free from bureaucratic politics is needed “to fix the massive and misaligned footprint” of the VA. The bill directs President Trump to establish a team to review the current VA operations across the country and make recommendations about ways we can modernize, improve, and streamline facilities and the services they provide. We can do better than this for our veterans, and I believe we will. Before the House voted on the bill, 38 veterans groups issued a letter of support for the legislation and called it “a major step towards making improvements to and investments in the VA health care system… so that veterans have access to care when and where they need it.” I agree, and I believe this bill will improve the lives of veterans. Fortunately, I believe the Senate will act quickly on this important piece of legislation, and the President has suggested he will waste no time signing it into law. You know as well as I do there’s no “quick fix” for the problems plaguing the VA – of course, I wish there was. Nonetheless, I will continue to support commonsense measures like the VA MISSION Act to deliver positive change for veterans. I have heard from countless veterans in Alabama’s Second District about the continued need for VA changes to improve the care they receive. We owe the men and women who have served our country the absolute best care possible, and I won’t stop fighting to achieve this. I hope we will soon see the VA MISSION Act signed into law. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
