Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, June 8, 2018
VA Reform: Mission Act streamlines community care options for veterans
By News Release @ 4:26 AM :: 3747 Views :: Military

Amata Welcomes President Trump’s Signing of VA Mission Act into Federal Law

News Release from Office of Rep Aumua Amata, (R-AS)

Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed this week’s veterans’ legislative activity in Washington, highlighted by President Trump’s signing into law the bipartisan Mission Act to reform the VA. Congresswoman Amata cosponsored this major legislation, which originated in the Veterans’ Affairs Committee on which she serves. Also Thursday, she participated in two Subcommittee hearings on veterans’ topics.

The Mission Act consolidates and streamlines community care options for veterans. President Trump invited Congresswoman Amata to the White House for Wednesday’s bill signing ceremony, and although she could not attend this time, she celebrates these ongoing improvements to the VA on behalf of our veterans.

“We’re proud of our veterans, and we have a special lifelong commitment to our veterans in this country,” said Aumua Amata. “The Veterans Affairs Committee, and the VA itself under the Trump Administration, is working through a challenging reform process for the VA to improve services and care.”

Specifically, the VA Mission Act, now law, bolsters the VA’s community care programs; funds the current, outgoing Veterans Choice program during the transition phase to make certain veterans receive the same care through the current program until the new Veterans Community Care Program is fully in effect; adds new flexibility in the VA’s infrastructure portfolio and institutes a reformed review process; grows and strengthens the Caregivers program, adding eligible veterans from all eras of service; and makes reforms to improve the VA’s workforce.

Thursday, Congresswoman Amata and the Veterans’ Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Honoring Heroes: Memorializing Our Nation’s Veterans.” In this hearing, Congresswoman Amata highlighted the need for a better VA procedure to provide access in American Samoa to VA grave markers.

Congresswoman Amata also participated in a hearing of the Veterans’ Health Subcommittee titled, “An Assessment of the Potential Health Effects of Burn Pit Exposure among Veterans.” She announced she is cosponsoring two related bipartisan veterans’ health bills: HR 1279, the “Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act,” introduced by Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-CT); and HR 5671, the “Burn Pits Accountability Act,” introduced by Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI).

Together, Members of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee have passed and introduced a series of legislative solutions dating back to last year, with the aim of seeing major upgrades in services, reduction of backlogs, faster claims and improved access to health care.

“Our veterans in American Samoa have extra challenges in getting care, because it often includes traveling long distances,” continued Congresswoman Amata. “The VA is in a time of transition, and we continue to both support those efforts and insist on clear oversight by Congress so our veterans get the quality services they deserve.”

###

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT