U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on March 29 honored U.S. military troops during a 45th anniversary event marking their return stateside from the Vietnam War and took the opportunity to outline his recent efforts to strengthen health care and benefits for American soldiers.
“We must always remember the sacrifices of our service members, especially for those veterans who did not receive the recognition they deserve at the time of their service,” said Sen. Hoeven during the North Dakota appreciation lunch organized by the Minishoshe-Mandan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in recognition of National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
The last American combat soldiers departed from South Vietnam on March 29, 1973, officially ending the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. Military advisors stayed behind, as did Marines, who were protecting U.S. installations. Of the more than 3 million Americans who served in the Vietnam War, almost 58,000 died and more than 1,000 were declared missing in action. Some 150,000 Americans were seriously wounded.
The home-state DAR event, Hoeven said, was about “dedicating time to express our gratitude as a nation, honoring both the veterans who returned home from Vietnam as well as those who were lost, while also reinforcing our commitment to fulfill our promises to those who served.”
The senator, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, told luncheon attendees that he most recently helped secure support for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, H.R. 1625.
The federal spending package, signed into law on March 23 by the president, provides fiscal year 2018 appropriations for the federal government through Sept. 30 and includes funds for medical care offered both at VA facilities and through community providers under the Veterans Choice Program, according to a March 29 statement from Sen. Hoeven’s office. This fits well with the senator’s ongoing collaboration with the VA to design the next phase of the program and build upon recent successes achieved in reducing wait times at the Fargo VA Health Care System in North Dakota, according to his staff.
“We worked hard to ensure the recent funding legislation gives our veterans the support they deserve, and we will continue working to strengthen the services offered by the VA, whether it’s through federal facilities or local health care providers,” said Sen. Hoeven.
During the event, Sen. Hoeven said he’s also working during this term of Congress to advance the Veterans Access to Long Term Care and Health Services Act, S. 1611, which he introduced on July 20, 2017 to enable veterans to receive long-term care and health care services closer to home. U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) are cosponsors of S. 1611, which has been referred to the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The identical bill, H.R. 4113, introduced on Oct. 24, 2017 by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME), has been referred to the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Additionally, Sen. Hoeven noted that he cosponsored the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, S. 1094, which became law last year. Introduced by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the new law gives the VA Secretary more authority to reprimand, suspend, demote or fire VA employees for poor performance or misconduct. The law also prohibits bonuses to those found guilty of wrongdoing and codifies safeguards for whistleblowers, according to the senator’s staff.
“As our veterans seek treatment for wounds both seen and unseen, it is vital that they have convenient access to the highest quality health care services, staff and facilities,” said Sen. Hoeven last week.