Senate Approves Ayotte Amendment to Strengthen Veterans Choice Card Program

Press Release

The U.S. Senate today approved an amendment offered by U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) that calls for properly implementing and strengthening the Veterans Choice Card program. The amendment was offered during debate of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 budget resolution and passed by voice vote. Ayotte introduced the amendment in opposition to a provision in the Obama Administration's FY2016 budget request that seeks to shift funding from the Veterans Choice Card program and reduce veterans' access to non-VA care - before the program has even been fully and properly implemented.

"This vote reaffirms the Senate's strong bipartisan support for giving veterans, who have served and sacrificed so much for our country, the choice to receive non-VA care closer to home," said Ayotte. "My amendment will help protect the Choice Card program and make sure the administration properly implements the program as Congress intended so that veterans in New Hampshire and across our nation can receive timely, quality care."

Ayotte and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) worked to include a provision in the VA reform bill last year that allows New Hampshire veterans the option to seek care from local non-VA health care providers in New Hampshire, rather than having to travel long distances to receive VA services out of state. The senators have expressed concerns with VA's initial roll-out of the Choice Card program in New Hampshire, which has caused confusion among veterans seeking to use the program. Last month, both senators urged the president to faithfully implement the program.

Ayotte and Shaheen have also introduced separate legislation to protect the Choice Card program for the state's veterans. Under current law, the Choice Card program is authorized for three years or until its $10 billion dollar initial funding allocation is exhausted. The senators' new legislation would make the program permanent for veterans living in states without a full service hospital, like New Hampshire.

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