Kuster Helps Advance Legislation to Improve Veteran Care, VA Accountability

This week, during a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, helped advance a series of bills to improve veteran services and enhance accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including legislation to improve VA’s performance system for senior executives, extend VA’s pilot program to provide quality care to veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and expand mental health care services to veterans who participated in classified missions while on active duty.

Among the bills approved by the Committee was a bill cosponsored by Kuster, the Ask Veterans Act, which would require an annual, independent survey of veterans in each of the 151 VA Medical Center service areas examining wait times, access, and quality of care, among other issues. This legislation would provide a more accurate assessment of veterans’ actual experiences with the VA, an essential tool to ensuring veterans are receiving the quality care they deserve.

“Our veterans have risked their lives to protect the freedom and democracy that are at the core of our state and nation. We owe every one of our veterans a debt of gratitude, and they should always have access to the top-quality care and receive the benefits they deserve,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “The Ask Veterans Act will give us a more accurate picture of care and services at the VA, and will help ensure that our nation’s veterans all have access to excellent, high quality physical and mental health care services.”

Among other bills considered during today’s hearing, bipartisan legislation to ensure eligibility for federal VA benefits to all married veterans and their families failed to pass the Committee by one vote. Under current law, veterans in same-sex marriages who live in states where same-sex marriage is prohibited are not eligible to receive federal VA benefits.

“It is long-past time that all married veterans and their families should be eligible for the benefits they have earned, and I am deeply disappointed that this legislation failed to pass the Veterans’ Affairs Committee,” said Kuster. “These courageous men and women who have bravely served our country should not be penalized because of who they love, and I will continue the fight to make sure they get the benefits they deserve.”

Since allegations of long wait times at the Phoenix VA were first discovered by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Kuster has joined her fellow Committee members in leading an investigation into any and all allegations of mismanagement at VA centers across the nation. She has repeatedly called for increased oversight and immediate action at the VA to prevent any further mismanagement, and was one of the first members to call for a thorough, nationwide audit to uncover any other instances of abuse. Congresswoman Kuster recently held a roundtable discussion with local veterans and advocates in Keene to hear about their experiences at the VA medical centers and with receiving mental health services.

Submitted by U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster’s Office.