Subject: Urgent Call for Immediate Passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371)
Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise, and Minority Leader Jeffries,
We are the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellows, a diverse group of individuals who dedicate our lives to caring for America’s wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and veterans. We are not politicians; we are spouses, children, parents, and loved ones providing around-the-clock care to those who have sacrificed so much for our country. Today, we write to you with an urgent plea to pass the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.
A Lifeline for Veterans and Their Families
This legislation is not just another bill; it is a comprehensive package that addresses critical gaps in the care and support systems for veterans and their families. It promises to bring immediate and lasting improvements to our lives. Here’s how:
1. Enhanced Community Care Access:
- Veterans will gain timely and local access to healthcare providers, reducing the need for long-distance travel. This change is crucial for those with mobility issues or chronic conditions and will alleviate the stress and physical burden on our veterans.
2. Support for Home and Community-Based Services:
- Increasing expenditure caps for noninstitutional care and improving coordination with the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) will promote more options for long-term care, ensuring veterans can receive the care they need in their own homes.
3. Authority to Award Grants for Mental Health Support to Family Caregivers:
- Providing grants for mental health support will help caregivers cope with the emotional and psychological stress of caregiving, maintaining our mental health and the quality of care we provide.
4. Recognition and Assistance Programs:
- Recognizing organizations and individuals assisting veterans, family members, and caregivers in navigating programs and services will ensure better access to available resources.
5. Veteran Directed Care:
- Mandates the expansion of the Veteran Directed Care program to all VA medical centers, ensuring comprehensive staffing and accessibility. This program grants veterans autonomy to manage their care, giving them the ability to customize services to meet their specific needs and significantly improving the overall quality of life for themselves and their caregivers.
Call to Honor Our Commitment
We, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellows, embody the resilience, dedication, and love that underpin the care of our nation’s heroes. We are the true experts, living these challenges every day. Our veterans rely on us, and in turn, we rely on your leadership and decisive action.
Passing this act is not merely a legislative victory—it is a profound affirmation of our nation’s commitment to those who have sacrificed so much. It is a testament to our collective resolve to honor their service with the care and support they deserve.
Please, let us unite in this noble cause. Prioritize the immediate passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. Our veterans, their caregivers, and their families are counting on you.
Thank you for your compassion, your dedication, and your swift action.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellows
Betsy Eves
Virginia
Joseph E Narvaez Jr.
Florida
Cynthia L Collins-Clark
Oklahoma
Kimberly Perez
Texas
Cori Lee Marrero
Texas
Michele Hopkins
Georgia
Debra H. Schulz
Texas
Ida Jean Carson
Ohio
Marjorie Pennington
Maine
Matthew N. Wilson
New York
Victoria Serene Chall
North Carolina
Tracy Brown
California
Cairistiona Benson
Florida
Elizabeth Anne Hunt
Washington
James White
North Carolina
Sharon Colleen Grassi
Arizona
Karee White
North Carolina
Aimmie Cathrine Jenkins
Indiana
Sherri Piper
Mississippi
Megan Powell
Tennessee
Glenda A. Leary
Indiana
Karla A. Seijas
California
Nancy White
North Carolina
Sandy Wai Kuen Cullins, Ph.D.
California
Amy Maria Stephens
California
Mary Ann Ward
North Carolina
Margaret W. Bristol, Ed.D.
New York
Theresa R Coomer
Illinois
Heidi Elizabeth Woodring
Pennsylvania
Jill J. Schuman
New Hampshire
Jeannette Davidson-Mayer
North Carolina
Xania D. Nacino
California
Dr. Jennifer Lynne Carson, DSW
California
Angelena Renee Taylor
Michigan
Silvia Carrilllo Lopez
Delaware
Amanda Arwood
Tennessee
Amanda Smith Flener
Georgia
Reva Tennille Collins
Florida
Alana Centilli
Alabama
Belinda Edwards
Maryland
Lara Garey
Texas
Rachel Elizabeth Clark
Virginia
Valence L. Scott
Virginia
Laura Nichole Stephens
California
Vanessa Blair Chism
Maryland
Ketty Wilson Gonzalez
New York
Benjamin Martinez
Florida
Lyra Helms
New Mexico
Susan Dianne Graham
Arizona
Tara Ann Plybon
Texas
Todd Layton Plybon
Texas
Sarah Ann Martinez
Montana
Nelida lozoya Lewis
Texas
Mona Renee Ayres
Texas
Melissa Comeau
California
Edna P. Dumas
Virginia
Helen M. Yourchuck
Wisconsin
Justine T. leVasseur
Connecticut
Kayla Armour
Florida
BettyJo O’Brien
Massachusetts
Wendy Gavell
Maryland
Alicia Maddaloni
Alaska
Michelle Dyan Bassett
Nevada
Kirsten Laha-Walsh
Florida
Stacey Hawley
Florida
Lynnette Canedy
Kentucky
Nodirakhon Murodkhujaeva Hughes
Virginia
Patricia A. Ochan
Virginia
Lillian W. Hunter
South Carolina
Emily Ann Mather
Florida
Melissa Jackson
Vermont
Krista Petterson
Montana
Shirley M. Stanton
New York
Andre Charles Morrow
California
Margaret Leimomi Morrow
California
Justina Lyn Crawford
Missouri
Emery A. Popoloski
Massachusetts
Ashley Schintz
West Virginia
Danny O’Neel
California
Julie L. Guleff
Texas
Stephanie Bridget Hall
Michigan
Precious Revondolyn Goodson
Georgia
Elisa Glass
New Hampshire
Brian Reed Vines
Texas
Debra Marie Sprague
California
Jo Ann Bachand
Florida
Colleen Ryan Rose
Virginia
Jacqui Beek
Colorado
Vivian Mitchell
Colorado
Sara Lease
Nebraska
T. Ilihia Gionson
Hawaii
Lieselotte H Pattee
Maryland
Robert David Evans
Texas
Ashley Lee
Florida
Karee Van Wert White
North Carolina
Ariana Del Negro
Montana
Megan Zimmerman
Minnesota
Amber Oldfield
South Dakota
Adrienne Hazard
Rhode Island
Shannon Tuimalealiifano
Florida
Jennifer Nicole Ostan
South Carolina
Michael Bowles
Texas
Jennifer Bowles
Texas
Jennifer Reed
Arkansas
Connie Ozmer
Washington
Krystle Hamlett
California
Marjory Harris
Mississippi
Brandy Marie Wrenn
North Carolina
Paula J Beller
Indiana
Kristin Lynn Christensen
Washington
Candace Laguna
Maryland
Elizabeth Rotenberry
Maryland
Trizer Akinyi Smith
Minnesota
Beth Diann Durbin
Alaska
Barbara Webb
Missouri
Jeanette McKinney
Idaho
Melissa Swire
North Carolina
Jennifer Briest
South Dakota
Amanda Jo Nuckoles
Tennessee
Hannah Nieskens
Montana
Andrea Robin Keller Dorsey
Nebraska
Ora Freeman
Maine
Deborah Elliott
Virginia
Shawn Del Moore
Missouri
Sandra Owmbey
Florida
Misty Toothman
Pennsylvania
Amber Bethany Lee Linder
Nevada
Anne R. Way
Georgia
Ivonne Francesca Thompson
Texas
Daphne G. Grady
Louisiana
Anne Adkinson
Arizona
Patti Renee Katter
Florida
Jeanette Ezell
Ohio
Donny Glenn Peters II
United States Virgin Islands
Rosalinda Alfaro Babin
Texas
CC: Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees