Vital Veterans Legislation Faces Fight in Senate

Vital Veterans Legislation Faces Fight in Senate
Posted by Patrick Campbell [1] on October 30 [2] 2009

UPDATE (11/13/09): Senate Democratic leaders reached a tentative agreement that could lead to the passage of the “The Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act” (S. 1963) when the Senate comes back into session early next week. Senator Coburn had placed a hold on the bill, which prevents it from being brought to the floor for a vote unless Senator Reid files for cloture on the bill.

We’ll continue to monitor the bill and work with the rest of the veterans community and members of Congress to move the vote along.

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10/30/09: We need your help to improve health care for our female veterans, support family caregivers and to get homeless veterans into transitional housing. These key IAVA priorities are swiftly moving in the Senate but face stiff opposition from one Senator who is threatening to scuttle these new programs . This week Senators Akaka and Burr introduced one bill that contains all these valuable provisions in “The Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act” (S. 1963).  

This bipartisan legislation contains:

• Enhancements in VA health care for female veterans, including new training for VA mental health providers to handle veterans who experienced military sexual trauma. (Key IAVA Priority) [4]
• Support to family caregivers of severely disabled veterans by giving them access to counseling, support and a living stipend.
• Expanded mental health services to rural regions where veterans currently have to drive hundreds of miles to seek mental health care. (Key IAVA Priority) [4]
• Improved traumatic brain injury (TBI) care. 
• Additional programs for homeless veterans. (Key IAVA Priority) [4]

With so much good riding on one bill, it is hard to imagine that anyone could oppose this legislation. But there is one Senator holding up consideration of this bill. Unless the Senate decides to act on this bill we will miss our small window to see this legislation pass before Veterans Day.  We need everyone to contact their Senator and urge them to bring S.1963 to the floor and vote to pass it.  Click here [5] to add your name to IAVA's open letter encouraging Congress to pass the legislation.

Patrick Campbell, an Iraq veteran, serves as IAVA's Chief Legislative Counsel in Washington, D.C.