WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted in support of the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018, or VA MISSION Act for short. The bill is a bipartisan effort that seeks to improve care and services at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 92 to 5 and, having passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 347-70 last week, will now head to the President’s desk for his signature.

“Our veterans have made great sacrifices to defend our nation, and Americans across the country are eternally indebted to them for their service,” said Senator King. “These men and women have earned high quality medical care, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they receive it. This bipartisan effort takes important steps to strengthen the VA as a unique healthcare provider, make it easier for rural veterans to receive community care closer to home, and expand caregiver benefits for veterans of all eras.”

Specifically, the VA Mission Act would:

• Consolidate VA community care programs, including the Choice Program, with a program that makes more sense for veterans, VA employees, community providers and taxpayers.
• Expand caregiver benefits to veterans of all eras.
• Bolster the ability of VA facilities to better serve veterans.
• Include funding to keep the Choice Program operating until the new community care program is operational. At that time, the Choice Program would be repealed.
• Include an asset and infrastructure review to ensure VA is best equipped to meet the health care needs of veterans.

The VA MISSION Act aims to consolidate and improve VA community care programs, as well as improve VA’s ability to hire high-quality healthcare professionals, expand VA caregiver benefits to veterans of all eras and establish a process to evaluate and reform VA’s existing facilities to best serve veterans. Earlier this week, Senator King cosponsored Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.)’s effort to strengthen the bill by advancing the legislation without an asset and infrastructure review; this language was ultimately not included in the final legislation.

The VA MISSION Act has received broad support from leading veterans groups that represent millions of veterans in the United States, and earlier this month, a group of 38 veteran and military advocacy organizations wrote to the House and Senate in support of the VA MISSION Act. A one-page summary explaining the bill’s impact in more detail can be found HERE.

Senator King has been a strong advocate for veterans issues since arriving in Washington. Last week, his bill to strengthen accountability of senior executives at the VA passed the Senate unanimously, and earlier this month he held a listening session with Maine veterans on the qualities and values they are looking for in a new VA Secretary. Also this month, Senator King visited the Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat in Rome, which brings injured veterans and their families to Maine in order to help the veterans overcome physical obstacles with the support of family members. The Senator also highlighted the important place of veterans in Maine by devoting his November and December podcasts to the subject, with Travis Mills as one of the guests on the latter show. In December, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will fund three new positions in Maine to better serve justice-involved Maine veterans confronting homelessness, mental health or substance abuse issues – a move which follows a February letter from Senator King to the VA urging additional resources on the topic. Senator King was a cosponsor of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, which passed the Senate in June 2017 and has since been signed into law.