Issues & Legislation |
||
 |
||
|
The daughter of a World War II veteran, Claire McCaskill believes America has a moral responsibility to keep its promises to those who have sacrificed so much to protect our country. She is committed to working in the Senate to ensure that veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve. Claire traveled throughout Missouri in May 2007 to meet with hundreds of veterans in 17communities and hear their stories first-hand. She asked questions about which veterans programs work, which ones don't, and what Congress needs to do about it. She took these stories and developed an agenda for action in the Senate. These priorities include:
Funding Veterans Health CareFederal funding to support veterans benefits and health care has fallen far short of what has been needed since the start of the Iraq war. In 2006, low-end estimates ran to $350 billion to handle the tens of thousands of new veterans who were coming into the system after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan over the lifetime of their treatment - high-end estimates ran as high as $663 billion. But neither the President nor Congress was providing the resources needed to meet current or long term requirements.This changed in 2007, when Congress - with Claire McCaskill's strong support - passed an emergency spending bill that provided an extra $1.8 billion for veterans' benefits and health care. These additional dollars were needed to accommodate the surge in new veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, Claire joined a majority of her Senate colleagues in passing a budget resolution that includes $43.1 billion for veterans, which is $3.5 billion more than the President requested. The Budget also rejected the President's proposed new fees and higher co-payments that were to be levied on many veterans, which would have driven an estimated 200,000 veterans from the system and discouraged more than one million from enrolling in VA health care. Supporting Rural VeteransClaire is also a strong supporter of legislation attentive to the special needs of veterans living in rural communities. She heard about many challenges faced by Missouri's rural veterans during her statewide listening tour. She is a cosponsor of S. 1146, the Rural Veterans Healthcare Improvement Act, which would require the conduct of demonstration projects within the VA Office of Rural Health that would expand care in rural areas through partnerships between the VA, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Department of Health and Human Services at critical access hospitals and community health centers. Claire was proud to help pass into law a measure that would establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in remote rural areas while changing reimbursement rates for veterans for their travel expenses so that they would receive the same rate paid to federal employees.Smoother Transition from the Military to the VAClaire is an original sponsor of the Dignified Treatment for Wounded Warriors Act, which recently passed the Senate. This legislation provides immediate relief to servicemembers making the active duty to VA transition while establishing a series of innovative pilot programs to determine the best way to improve this transition for the future. The bill also requires the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive policy on the care, management, and transition from the military to VA or civilian life of service members with combat-related injuries or illnesses.Claire is also a cosponsor of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Act (S. 1117), which would tackle obstacles that keep Iraq/Afghanistan veterans from getting the care they need. More than 1.5 million service members have been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations as part of the Global War on Terror since 9-11. More than 630,000 are now veterans. Unfortunately, a lack of planning and coordination between the Department of Defense and the VA has resulted in myriad problems, including frustrating lengthy paperwork delays to receive compensation and assistance for new veterans. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)While the Veterans Administration is a world leader in providing PTSD treatment and care, it's critical that the VA respond to an increasing caseload from war-related injuries. Part of the problem is identifying these injuries. The other is having the capacity to handle the caseload. PTSD is the most common mental illness among returning service members.In this light, Claire has taken aggressive action to champion improved mental health care for servicemembers, their families and veterans. Along with Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), Claire introduced the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act, much of which was passed by the full Senate. Among other important provisions, the bill requires increased training of caseworkers and social workers on PTSD and requires that the military evaluate whether women have differing PTSD treatment needs than men. Claire is also a coauthor of the Homecoming Enhancement Research and Oversight (HERO) Act which would require comprehensive research on the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of military men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study is modeled on the landmark readjustment study conducted for Vietnam veterans. Those veterans had to wait until 10 years after the war to end for a study, but Claire believes today's veterans shouldn't have to wait. This bill, which would include an assessment of the effects of undiagnosed injuries such as PTSD, was included as part of legislation recently passed by the Senate. Veterans EducationThe Montgomery G.I. bill has not kept up with the average cost of education and is losing its draw as a potential recruiting tool. The program was created in 1944 to help veterans readjust to civilian life and give them an opportunity to receive the education and training that they missed while serving in the military. Unfortunately, the program today only covers a fraction of college expenses.Claire is a cosponsor of S.22, the Post-9-11 Veterans Education Assistance Act that would close the financial gap and mirrors the benefits provided to World War II veterans. Claire has also proposed legislation to ensure that National Guard and Reserve servicemembers who have not experienced a deployment are not treated differently than other servicemembers when they apply for federal financial aid. To learn more about or to track the progress of legislation described above, please visit THOMAS.gov
|
||
