The U.S. Senate passed the Hire More Heroes Act last week, much to the delight of Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the author of the legislation.
The measure, originally introduced in 2014, encourages businesses to hire more American veterans. It was one of a pair of bills aiding veterans passed by the Senate on Thursday. The Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015, which will increase competition and access by allowing veterans to seek treatment at non-Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities, also was approved.
“Our veterans have selflessly served to protect America and deserve every opportunity to succeed,” Blunt, a member of the bipartisan Congressional Veterans Job Caucus, said. “This means ensuring that our military heroes have opportunities to find good-paying jobs when they return home as well as providing our veterans with more health care choices so they can receive the care they need. These bills passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support. Working to improve the lives of our military, our veterans and their families should be a goal we all share.”
The Veterans Health Care Act will allow veterans living more than 40 miles from a VA facility, as well as those who are on a waiting list for more than 30 days, to access care outside of the VA health care system.