Congressman Cook comments, “Too
often Veterans get lost in bureaucracy…”
COOK VOTED
To Improve VETERANS
Healthcare
Veterans
Hospital Loma Linda, 26001 Redlands Boulevard, Redlands, California 92373
U.S.
Congressman Paul Cook (R-Apple Valley) voted Wednesday May 16, 2018 in support
of Senate #2372, the VA Mission Act. The Bill provides
major reforms to Veterans Affairs. It passed the House with bipartisan support.
The
Bill strengthens and improves the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
healthcare system for the approximately nine million veteran patients who
utilize the system.
The Bill consolidates multiple community care Veterans
Affairs programs, including the Choice
Program, into one system that is easier to navigate for Veterans, VA
employees, and community partners.
Senate
# 2372 will help to ensure that Veterans are getting the right
care, at the right time, with the right provider.
It also provides additional funding to sustain the Choice Program, which could be
exhausted by the end of May 2018. The Choice
Program is one of several programs through which a Veteran can receive care
from a community provider if he or she cannot receive care in a timely manner
from a nearby Veterans Affairs facility.
Additionally, Senate
#2372 expands eligibility for the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, which promotes and
enhances Veteran wellbeing for those who require the care and assistance of
another. Post-9/11 Veterans have
benefitted greatly from this program and this bill ensures future Veterans
maintain access to it.
Representative Cook said, “Too often veterans get lost in
bureaucracy of the VA, without receiving the help they have earned. This
bipartisan bill will improve and expand critical care for our nation’s veterans
and ensure that there’s no lapse in funding for the Choice program. I hope this
critical bill is swiftly signed into law.”
~~~
U.S. Congressman
Paul Cook (R-Apple Valley) is a member of the House Armed Services, Natural
Resources, and Foreign Affairs Committees, Cook served as an infantry officer
and
retired after 26
years as a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps.
During his time in
combat, he was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.