The U.S. Senate recently approved a resolution led by Republicans that would recognize community care as essential to meeting the health care needs of America’s military veterans.
The Senate on Dec. 17, 2025 passed Senate Resolution (S.Res.) 492, which U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sponsored in November 2025 alongside four original cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
“Federal government bureaucracy should not get in the way of America’s veterans getting the health care they need,” Sen. Blackburn said on Dec. 23, 2025. “This resolution reaffirms my commitment to ensuring veterans in Tennessee and across America can access high-quality, affordable health care.”
The senators point out that community care has become an indispensable part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system, expanding veterans’ options and improving access, especially for those living in rural areas, facing mobility or transportation challenges, or requiring specialized treatment, according to the lawmakers.
The resolution would recognize community care as an essential tool for meeting veterans’ healthcare needs, and would affirm that community care complements the VA’s mission to serve veterans.
“Mississippi’s veterans rely on community care providers,” said Sen. Wicker. “The VA health system cannot meet every imaginable need, and these providers stand in the gap for those who have given so much to our country.”
Additionally, the resolution urges the VA to fully implement the VA MISSION Act of 2018, a public law that aims to ensure veterans may seek community care when the VA cannot provide timely or appropriate treatment.
“Veterans deserve prompt, high-quality care and greater flexibility in choosing when, where, and how to use the healthcare benefits they have earned through their service,” said Sen. Moran. “This resolution reaffirms our commitment to making certain that veterans have a choice in where they receive care — whether at the VA or in the community — while acknowledging the essential role community care partnerships play in strengthening the VA healthcare system.”
S.Res. 492 also would reaffirm the Senate’s commitment to ensuring every veteran has access to high-quality, affordable, and veteran-centered care, whether provided at a VA facility or through community providers, according to a summary provided by the lawmakers.
Sen. Tillis noted that the proposed resolution would cut red tape and ensure no veteran is forced to wait for care. “Our veterans deserve the best care possible, and that means ensuring they can access timely, high-quality treatment through VA facilities and trusted community providers,” he said.