Senator Blunt: Fighting To Ensure America's Heroes Get Timely, Quality Care

Press Release

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today in response to a report by the Associated Press that found the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has failed to improve veterans' access to quality health care. The AP's report follows an internal audit released last year by the VA regarding extended wait times for veterans nationwide:

"I'm still very disappointed by the most recent report that America's heroes are waiting too long to receive the quality care they deserve," said Blunt. "While I'm pleased the wait times at Missouri's VA Hospitals are reportedly below the national average, there's still more work to be done. These men and women fought bravely to protect our freedoms, and I will keep fighting to ensure every veteran gets timely care."

In March 2015, Blunt co-sponsored the bipartisan Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2015, which was introduced by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (Kan.) to help America's heroes receive treatment if they live too far from a VA facility. Blunt also co-sponsored an amendment introduced by Moran to the FY2016 budget to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund related to helping America's heroes receive treatment if they live too far from a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility. And he co-sponsored the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), which was passed by Congress in response to the VA's wait time manipulation.

Additional Information On Blunt's Efforts To Help America's Heroes:

Blunt has aggressively pressed for answers after the VA released a shocking internal audit regarding extended wait times for veterans nationwide. In May 2014, he visited the John Cochran VA facility and demanded answers regarding serious allegations of delays and inefficiencies. He visited the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital in Columbia, Mo., and he pressed all of the Missouri facilities in the VA Heartland Network (VISN 15) to disclose whether or not they've had "unauthorized" waiting lists that compromised care for area veterans.

Blunt has also championed other ways to improve care for America's heroes. In 2014, he successfully included language from the Caring for America's Heroes Act in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2015 to help bring mental health treatment for the nation's veterans and military dependents in line with the way physical injuries are treated under TRICARE.

He co-sponsored the Mental-health Exposure Military Official Record Act (MEMORy Act) to help servicemembers and veterans better track potential exposures during military service that could be later connected to mental health and traumatic brain injuries. And he co-sponsored the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act, which was signed into law to improve mental health and suicide prevention resources for the nation's servicemembers and veterans.

As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Veterans Job Caucus, Blunt is committed to helping America's veterans find good-paying jobs as civilians. He introduced the bipartisan Hire More Heroes Act, which awaits action in the Senate and encourages companies to hire more American veterans, while providing relief from the burdensome ObamaCare employer mandate.

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