U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) on Tuesday introduced the Keeping Our Commitment to Disabled Veterans Act, which would preserve nursing home care for the nation’s disabled military veterans.
Under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans having a 70 percent or higher disability rating may receive coverage for such care. The program is set to expire Dec. 31 if it is not reauthorized.
“Our veterans have given so much to serve our country, at the very least, we owe it to them that we ensure they are well taken care of,” Issa said.
He added that nursing home care has been a critical lifeline for many of California’s disabled veterans. And if the VA program isn’t renewed to continue funding such care, some 2,060 veterans could be affected statewide, according to VA estimates.
Nationwide, the VA reports that 35,000 veterans received care through this authority in fiscal year 2016.
“I’m proud to help shepherd this important extension to keep the commitments we’ve made to our nation’s heroes,” Issa said in a statement.
Issa’s bill, H.R. 3177, is a companion bill to S. 683, which was introduced in March and is now before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The Senate version is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the National Association of State Veterans Homes.