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Keeping Our Promises

Veterans’ Health Care Improvement Act

This year I voted for the Veterans’ Health Care Improvement Act, HR 2847, when it passed the House.  This bill will allow the VA to make grants to conduct workshop programs that have been shown to assist in therapeutic readjustment and rehabilitation.  It will also expand and improve readjustment and mental health services for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans. Improving the VA's outreach is essential to the welfare of youngest veterans, an estimated one-third of who return from Iraq and Afghanistan facing mental health challenges.

Wounded Warrior Assistance Act

I voted for H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, when it passed the House in 2007.  This important bill is a first step in addressing the problems brought to light by the inadequate living conditions and the administrative challenges experienced by some patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The bill would substantially improve outpatient medical care for wounded service members at military health care facilities by restoring integrity and efficiency to disability evaluations, and by cutting bureaucratic red-tape.  It would also make a number of improvements to the system used for transitioning wounded service members from the Armed Forces to the VA system. 

Mandatory Veterans Health Funding

I have cosponsored legislation in the House that would guarantee adequate funding veteran’s healthcare in the annual budget. 

The Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act, or H.R. 2514, would ensure that American veterans have their health care needs met each year in the federal budget by replacing annually appropriated discretionary funding for veterans' health care with permanent direct spending authority.  Under the bill, annual veterans health care funding would be determined by a formula specified in law. 

Currently, the Veterans Health Administration is funded by “discretionary” spending, which is subject to annual Congressional determinations regarding funding levels.  Although the bill would primarily affect funding for health care services provided by VHA, it also would result in some savings in direct spending for other government programs, primarily Medicare and Medicaid.