The House passed a huge bill Monday that would provide funding for a variety of veteran care services and increase workforce and educational opportunities for veterans.
Senator Elizabeth Dole's 21st Century Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, also known as Dole's Law, passed with a bipartisan vote of 389-9.
The bill is a victory for Republicans, who have pointed out problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and pushed for more home care for veterans.
Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said a major provision would prevent the Veterans Administration from “determining where veterans should receive health care.” Ta.
“The Dole Act legitimately ensures that Department of Veterans Affairs bureaucrats cannot veto doctors' medical decisions,” he said on the House floor before the vote. “Two weeks ago, the American people voted us into a mandate to solve the problems we talked about at the kitchen table that impact families and communities every day. It’s the foundation.”
“We will ensure that veterans who choose to spend their final days in the comfort of their homes do not have to worry about losing VA benefits for their families,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.). ” is important.
The bill will next be introduced in the Senate, but it is unclear whether it will have support in the Democratic-controlled chamber.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), the Ranking Member on the Veterans Affairs Committee, said Dole's law would “incentivize caregivers of veterans into respite care and other support services to help care for veterans at home.” He described this as an “investment.'' We care for millions of veterans and current military members. ”
But he also said it was an “uphill battle” to pass the bill, noting that Republicans in the original bill “restricted for-profit providers to care for veterans” before a compromise was reached last week to preserve veterans services. He also accused the company of “outsourcing.” .
“We want the VA to continue to be a strong health care provider, not just an insurance company where profits are prioritized over veteran outcomes,” Takano said, adding that the bill agreed, but added that he was upset about some of the provisions.
Dole's Act, named after the former Republican senator from North Carolina, notes that the broad priorities included in the bill include funding priorities to improve care through the Veterans Administration. is a major priority for advocacy groups.
The bill would address vexing issues for veterans such as housing, provide housing projects and tribal land purchases for Native American veterans, and provide the Veterans Administration with grants for transitional housing for all veterans. It is empowering.
It also strengthens mental health care for veterans, expands coverage for veterans seeking alternatives to nursing home care, funds home services, covers ambulance rides to the Veterans Administration, and more. provides more options for veterans in need of a caregiver among a long list of medical services. .
And this bill includes efforts to increase education through expanding access to scholarships and modernizing educational support tools.
Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, said the foundation has spent a year working to pass this transformative legislation for the benefit of millions of veterans, caregivers, survivors, and families. I've been working hard on this,” he said.
“We will push for swift passage in the Senate so that it can reach the president's desk for signature,” Schwab said in a statement. “Veterans, caregivers, and survivors depend on us to get this across the finish line. “I'm doing it,” he said.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) also supported the Dole Act this month.
“This is an excellent bill that was negotiated on a bipartisan basis with input from numerous organizations representing veterans, caregivers, and survivors across the country,” the VFW said. he wrote in a statement.
