House Passes Bill to Improve Health Care Services for Veterans

The House passed a bill on Nov. 18 that included a series of proposals focused on improving health care services for veterans and expanding access to mental health resources for caregivers. The omnibus bill, known as the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, was passed with strong bipartisan support in a 389–9 vote. Nine Republican lawmakers voted against the bill. “I am hopeful that the Senate acts quickly so we can get our nations’ heroes the support they have earned,” Congresswoman Jen Kiggans wrote in a Nov. 19 post on social media platform X. The bill aims to expand access to home and community-based services for aging veterans, fund ambulance rides for veterans to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers or the nearest hospital, and provide educational assistance for veterans pursuing high-technology programs. It also offers grants to support mental health counseling for caregivers, among other initiatives....