Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Health-Care and Benefits Improvement Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CISCOMANI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost for yielding me time and for his leadership on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I rise today in support for my legislation, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, the flagship bipartisan and bicameral veterans package of the 118th Congress.

It is not very often that someone has the opportunity to speak on the floor in support of a bill that they have introduced, let alone twice in such a short period of time, as I had the opportunity to do so today, so this is a very exciting moment.

I support many of the technical changes made in the legislation and appreciate our Senate counterparts' willingness to work with the House throughout this entire process.

I am excited to see the impact to our veterans that these policy improvements will have, including by modernizing our veteran workforce training program through VET TEC, expanding access to home- and community-based services throughout every VA center, allowing older and sick veterans to receive care where they want it and where they need it, creating pilot programs to cover dental care, as well as address veteran homelessness by increasing reimbursement rates to partner organizations.

Furthermore, while this comprehensive bill does so much, I also highlight that it authorizes appropriations for the VA's Office of Women's Health to be used to expand access for women to mobile mammography units and outreach as well. This is imperative to ensure that our female veterans who live in rural areas, like in my district, have access to potentially lifesaving screenings.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to taking this final step to send this bill to the President's desk and give our veterans the VA reforms that they demand and that they deserve. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

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