Leaders of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, spearheaded by chairman and ranking member of the committee, U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), rolled out bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would enhance accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and improve healthcare for veterans.
U.S. Sens. John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) led efforts to advance key provisions of the Veterans First Act.
The bill would expand a VA program that enables seriously injured veterans to receive in-home care, while improving mental health care programs and addressing the VA’s backlog of disability claims appeals.
The bill would enable VA leadership to fire employees based on performance and withhold bonuses for employees accused of wrongdoing. The measure would also establish protections for whistleblowers, enhance the Veterans Choice Program and improve education efforts to curb opioid abuse among veterans.
“A lot of hard work and tireless effort went into crafting this bill, which really will help veterans by increasing accountability at VA, enhancing services and tackling some of the biggest issues facing the veterans’ community,” Boozman said. “The fact that we can produce such a wide-ranging bill in a bipartisan way truly is a testament to how well this committee works together to put veterans first.”
A provision led by Boozman would clarify that veterans who receive housing assistance remain eligible for job training through the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program.
“We are trying to end the cycle of homelessness amongst our veteran population by eliminating the hurdles they face to getting the affordable housing and job training assistance they earned,” Boozman said. “Getting a veteran into housing is only one step in the process. They also need training and assistance to help them secure stable employment so that they never again return to being homeless.”
A second Boozman provision would honor National Guard and reserve retirees who served honorably for more than 20 years without being called into active duty as veterans.
A provision included in the Veterans First Act by Rounds, meanwhile, would amend the Veterans Choice Equal Cost for Care Act to eliminate the “second payer clause” to ensure that veterans don’t pay more for private care. Another Rounds provision would require the Veterans Health Administration to report to Congress annually on the cost of health care.
“South Dakota is home to more than 72,000 veterans who have selflessly and bravely served our country,” Rounds said. “Unfortunately, many aren’t receiving the quality of care they have been promised due to decades of mismanagement and ongoing problems at the VA. The Veterans First Act takes meaningful steps to hold the VA accountable and – most importantly – improve care for our nation’s veterans.”
Moran said the comprehensive bill outlines “commonsense ideas” that would benefit those who served their country.
“One provision I’m particularly proud to see included is related to toxic exposure,” Moran said. “Many veterans have experienced significant medical challenges related to their exposure to toxic substances, and unfortunately those same symptoms are showing up in their children and grandchildren who shouldn’t have to pay a price for the service of their parents and grandparents.”
Moran added that fixes to the Veterans Choice Equal Cost for Care Act would provide opportunities for veterans, and for veterans in rural areas in particular.
“But an equally important aspect is holding the VA accountable, and accountability is front and center in this legislation,” Moran said. “Those who violate the trust of those who serve our country should suffer a consequence for that behavior.”
Tillis and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced measures that would prohibit schools without programmatic accreditation from receiving GI Bill benefits and would provide relief to veterans whose Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are impacted by the permanent closure of educational institutions.
“The solution to many of the problems in the VA is the people who are working in the VA,” Tillis said. “They have their hearts and minds in it, and they’re doing good work. A lot of it has to do with making sure the good things that are happening in one facility happen in another facility, and we have the transparency and the ability to know where the pressure points are. This bill, and a number of other measures in the Senate, is really focused on that.”
Another measure introduced by Tillis and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) would authorize Yellow Ribbon program eligibility for dependents that receive Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits under the Fry Scholarship.