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

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 141, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.

If that title sounds familiar, it is because all of my Democratic colleagues already voted for this bill. We passed the House version in November, and then we had to work to overcome Senate Republican holds on the House bill. Despite those holds, no substantive changes were made to the bill as a result of these negotiations.

Many of my Democratic colleagues have important provisions in this bill, and what was agreed to during the time the bill was held up were some technical changes that were agreed to by the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees, though this resulted in the slightly updated bill being incorporated into a Senate amendment that was included in the shell of the companion to the original bill, Representative Julia Brownley's bill, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act, which she worked on for many years.

Mr. Speaker, it has been quite a long and winding journey for this bill, which was unfortunate, but I am glad we can at least pass some significant legislation for veterans this Congress, even if it comes at the last possible moment.

When reasonable minds work together, we can find consensus and deliver something for veterans. Hopefully that lesson will be taken to heart as we head into the next Congress.

I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to reaffirm their support, and let's get it to President Biden's desk.

Mr. Speaker, I support S.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 141, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source