[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Veterans

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, the Disabled American Veterans is 
celebrating 100 years of helping military veterans, and I rise to 
recognize this remarkable occasion.
  Throughout its history, the DAV has been influential in identifying 
ways to best support our veterans--from pushing for the consolidation 
of veterans programs, in its early years, to direct outreach to 
veterans in communities with the launch of the Field Service Unit 
Program, to pressing for more funding for VA healthcare and benefits.
  There has been so much progress in advancing veterans services thanks 
to the DAV's efforts. The organization's members and partners have a 
lot to be proud of. DAV members have been leading advocates for injured 
and ill veterans and their families, which has made a difference for 
countless wounded warriors. The DAV's advocacy has helped and continues 
to build better lives for disabled veterans. We are thankful for the 
more than 1 million DAV members and auxiliary members who are doing 
great work to ensure our country keeps the promise we made to the men 
and women who have served in uniform.
  This week, members of the DAV Department of Arkansas are visiting the 
Nation's Capital to share the organization's legislative priorities for 
2020. They are part of an extensive network that has been influential 
in identifying how the Department of Veterans Affairs can strengthen 
its services. They are among the DAV members from across the country 
who are in Washington, DC, to advocate on behalf of veterans.
  There is simply no substitute for coming to our Nation's Capital and 
visiting with Members of Congress to let them know of DAV's priorities. 
These include strengthening veterans mental healthcare and suicide 
prevention programs, improving benefits and services for women veterans 
and ensuring veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances receive 
full and timely benefits. The good news is we are working on these 
priorities because we all agree that our veterans deserve nothing less 
than quality care and the benefits they have earned.
  Last month, the Senate's Committee on Veterans' Affairs advanced the 
Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement 
Act. This comprehensive legislation will strengthen our ability to 
provide veterans with the mental healthcare they need. It includes 
language Senator Warner and I authored to leverage the services of 
veteran-serving nonprofits and other community networks in our overall 
strategy to reduce veteran suicides.
  VA Ranking Member Tester and I are also working to improve services 
to our women veterans. Our Deborah Sampson Act legislation would 
eliminate barriers to care and services that many women veterans face 
and would help to ensure the VA could address the needs for women, 
which is so critical because they are more likely to face homelessness, 
unemployment, and to go without needed healthcare. We are pleased to 
have the support of the DAV for this important legislation.
  I am proud to cosponsor the Veterans Burn Pit Exposure Recognition 
Act, which would allow veterans who suffer from the effects of burn 
pits to get the benefits and services they have earned.
  I encourage my colleagues to support these bills so we can provide 
the resources that have been promised to our veterans.
  For years, the DAV members have supported the passage of the Blue 
Water Navy bill. Thanks, in part, to their advocacy, Congress approved 
this critical legislation last year that extends benefits to more 
veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals during the Vietnam war.
  The DAV's attention extends beyond the Halls of Congress. Its 
National Service Program helps to direct services to veterans across 
the country.
  I applaud the efforts of the more than 11,000 DAV members in Arkansas 
whose outreach is helping veterans to understand and access their 
benefits. They have spent countless hours in advising fellow veterans 
about the assistance they qualify for and in helping them fill out the 
paperwork to secure those benefits through the VA.
  One of the well-known services provided by the DAV is the 
transportation of veterans to VA medical centers and hospitals. In 
rural States like Arkansas, the services these volunteers offer is 
critical to meeting veterans' healthcare needs. The Arkansas fleet is 
made up of 16 vans. Last year, more than 6,600 veterans were driven to 
medical appointments with the help of volunteers who logged more than 
18,000 hours behind the wheel.
  I look forward to continuing to work with DAV members as Congress 
crafts and reforms policies to improve services for veterans and their 
families.
  This country made a promise to our veterans that we must live up to, 
and I am proud to join with the DAV to ensure we follow through on that 
commitment. In working together, we can find solutions and take action 
to deliver the results veterans have earned and expect. We will 
continue looking to the DAV to understand how we can improve the lives 
of the men and women who have served in uniform.
  As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and as 
chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees VA 
funding, I have seen the dedication of the DAV to support disabled 
veterans in Arkansas and across the country. I am proud to recognize 
the DAV on its 100 years of engaging veterans, in its advocating to 
advance benefits, services, and care, and in its making a positive 
difference in the lives of veterans and their families.