The Elizabeth Dole Foundation commends President Trump for signing the VA MISSION Act of 2018 today. Senator Elizabeth Dole and the Foundation’s Executive Director, Steve Schwab, stood with the President as he signed the bill into law, fulfilling a long-held Foundation goal to reform how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves our veterans and their caregivers.
The bill, introduced by House Committee Chairman Phil Roe (R-TN), received strong bipartisan, bicameral support. The VA MISSION Act responds to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s calls to expand the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) beyond those caring for veterans who served after September 11, 2001. Caregivers assisting veterans of all eras will soon be eligible for the PCAFC’s critical financial and educational resources.
“Today, President Trump and our leaders in Congress took historic action in support of our veterans and their caregivers. The VA MISSION Act of 2018 will transform the VA in a way that provides the best possible care to those who have served our country. The law also corrects a long-standing inequity in the VA system that has prevented 4.4 million pre-9/11 veteran caregivers from accessing critical resources they need to care for those who have cared for us,” said Senator Elizabeth Dole, President of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. “Until today, these hidden heroes have served as an unpaid workforce, absorbing the overwhelming challenges that can come with caring for a veteran. The VA MISSION Act brings us one step closer to full and equitable support for military and veteran caregivers.”
The law also further ensures that veterans receive the care they need by reauthorizing the Veterans Choice program for one year; strengthening the VA’s ability to recruit, hire, and retain quality medical personnel; and reviewing, realigning, and modernizing the VA’s healthcare infrastructure.
See below for more information on the Foundation’s efforts to support expansion:
- https://www.elizabethdolefoundation.org/elizabeth-dole-foundation-statement-on-the-senates-passage-of-the-va-mission-act/
- https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/387777-not-only-do-we-need-to-support-vets-but-their-caregivers-too/
- https://www.elizabethdolefoundation.org/elizabeth-dole-foundation-statement-regarding-house-committee-on-veterans-affairs-passage-of-va-mission-act/
- https://www.elizabethdolefoundation.org/edf-signs-on-to-letter-of-support-for-va-mission-act-of-2018/
- https://www.elizabethdolefoundation.org/statement-from-steve-schwab-executive-director-of-the-elizabeth-dole-foundation-before-the-house-committee-on-veterans-affairs/
- https://www.elizabethdolefoundation.org/elizabeth-dole-foundation-urges-congress-include-va-caregiver-program-omnibus-spending-bill/
