Omnibus bill to improve health services and support for veterans passes Senate 98-0

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray applauded the Senate passage of the Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health bill by a vote of 98-0. The legislation contains Senator Murray's Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. Additionally, the bill would provide vital assistance to the caregivers of the most severely wounded veterans, including counseling, support, and a living stipend as well as health care to the family caregivers of injured veterans.

“Women now make up fifteen percent of current active duty Guard and Reserve forces, and the number of women veterans enrolled in the VA system is expected to double in the next five years,” said Senator Patty Murray. “Because the conflicts of today do not have the clear front lines of past wars, women, like all of our servicemembers, are always on the front lines - riding on dangerous routes, guarding key checkpoints, and seeing the horrors of war first-hand. We simply cannot overlook the growing number of women veterans, or their unique needs, any longer.  Instead, we need to make sure that the VA is prepared to care for the needs of these honorable veterans today.”

Murray's Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 would assess, expand, and improve health care services to women veterans, particularly those brave women who have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This bill aims to equip the VA for the long?term needs that will be associated with a larger women veteran population.

Murray has been a long-time champion in the Senate for addressing the unique needs of women veterans.

The Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health bill also provides other critically important benefits for veterans, including provisions that would improve veterans’ access to care in rural areas; provide new support and outreach for homeless veterans; enhance veterans’ mental health care services; remove barriers to emergency care and care for catastrophically disabled veterans; enhance VA Medical Services; increase quality control, accountability, and transparency at VA; and fund needed VA construction projects across the country.

“Our aging veterans and the brave men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan need our help now, and this bill is a strong step forward toward providing our heroes with the support and services they deserve,” said Senator Patty Murray. “How we treat them at this critical time will send a signal to a generation of young people who may be considering military service. Our veterans have waited long enough for many of the improvements in this bill.”

Senator Murray spoke on the floor last week on the eve of Veterans Day urging her colleagues to move quickly to support the legislation.