The VA MISSION Act of 2018 (S. 2372) will be going for a vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 16. If passed, this bill would do several things to help veterans, including:
- Streamlining all of the community care programs, including the Veterans Choice Program, into one common sense program.
- Expanding the VA’s caregivers program to all war eras of veterans, not just the post-9/11 generation, which is critical. This program should be available to all war eras and the veterans who proudly served our great nation.
- Providing $5.2 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs to appropriately fund the Veterans Choice Program through the next year while the community care programs are being modified and streamlined. This means the VA will not have to continuously ask Congress for more money, which will allow veterans to receive the immediate care they need and where they need it.
This legislation would help expand the VA Comprehensive Family Caregiver Program to veterans injured in service before September 11, 2001. This historic legislation would finally provide fairness for thousands of family caregivers of seriously injured veterans from World War II, the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars.
The bipartisan VA MISSION ACT, which was approved by the House VA Committee last week, would also consolidate and reform VA’s community care programs, as well as provide for the assessment and modernization of VA’s health care infrastructure.
If this is something you support, we urge you to call your Representative and let them know you support this legislation. Simply go to https://www.house.gov/representatives to find their office phone number. Just enter your zip code at this website (top right corner).
Or you can call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your Representative. You can use our script to talk to the staffer you are connected with:
For Veterans/Caregivers/Family Members-
Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in Rep. [name] district.
I am calling to urge Rep. [name] to vote YES on the VA MISSION Act.
As a [veteran/caregiver/family member], I strongly support this legislation to expand VA’s comprehensive caregiver assistance program to veterans injured before September 11, 2001.
This legislation would also improve veterans’ health care by consolidating and reforming VA’s community care programs, as well as developing a plan for modernizing and realigning VA’s health care infrastructure.
Please let Rep. [name] know that the best way they can support veterans and their family caregivers is by voting YES on the VA MISSION Act.