[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             VA MISSION ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, in the 
coming days, the Senate will take up landmark legislation on one of our 
top priorities: providing more options and better care to America's 
veterans.
  The VA MISSION Act is a major milestone in an ongoing effort by 
Chairman Isakson and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to ensure that 
our Nation fulfills its promises to our men and women in uniform, 
including more than 300,000 veterans in my home State of Kentucky.
  What Senator Isakson and his colleagues have put together is one of 
the most comprehensive reform packages for veterans' healthcare since 
the VA was created in 1930. It builds on the substantial success of the 
Veterans Choice Act and harnesses provisions of 15 different Senate-
introduced bills. This bill streamlines support systems, expands access 
to care, and provides new tools for attracting and retraining top 
caregivers.
  The veteran who lives far from a VA facility but needs frequent 
followup care will now have easier access to local providers and walk-
in clinics. The wounded warrior navigating difficult pain management 
routines will now be served by providers with clearer guidelines for 
opioid prescriptions. The retired servicemember who relies on a family 
caregiver will rest assured of expanded eligibility and program 
benefits for veterans of all eras.
  It is hardly surprising that this bill has such a broad bipartisan 
coalition of support, including the endorsement of 38 of the Nation's 
leading veterans advocacy organizations. I look forward 
enthusiastically to considering it in the coming days.
  I urge every one of my colleagues to support this legislation and 
send it to the President for his signature. It is not merely our duty 
but our privilege to improve and enhance the care available to those 
who have given so much.

                          ____________________