Tag: Veterans

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured numerous provisions in the FY 2018 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to increase Montana veterans’ access to timely care for injuries they sustained while serving our nation.  These provisions will reduce delays for new facility construction, expanding mental health treatment options and expanding access to veterans in rural areas.    “Montana’s veterans have suffered under the status quo for too long,” Daines stated. “We are beginning to make real progress for Montana’s veterans and I look forward to continuing to make progress for them.”   Daines offered an amendment to the bill,

U.S. SENATE — Ahead of Memorial Day, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester introduced legislation to recognize the commitment to duty and personal courage of three Montanans by introducing a bill to designate three Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in their honor.  The Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Missoula will be designated in honor of David J. Thatcher, the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Billings will be designated in honor Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow (Dakaak Baako) and the Community Based Specialty Clinic located in Billings will be designated in honor of Benjamin Charles Steele. The designations have the full support

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies urging them to support robust funding for State Veterans Homes that help provide long-term care to our nation’s veterans. Federal funds provided by the State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program allow states to make critical facility upgrades or construct new facilities to serve aging veteran populations. For fiscal year 2017, only 10 of the 57 highest priority projects were funded, resulting in a backlog of facilities requiring upgrades or

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT)  and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and today reintroduced the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, legislation to ensure that thousands of Navy veterans, known as “Blue Water” veterans, are able to receive the disability and health care benefits they earned after exposure to Agent Orange while fighting in the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam to remove jungle foliage. This toxic chemical had devastating health effects on millions serving in Vietnam. In 1991, Congress passed a law requiring the Department of

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after meeting with President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David Shulkin.  “When it comes to veterans and healthcare – a promise made must be a promise kept,” Daines stated. “That’s why it’s critical we ensure that our veterans have access to the healthcare they need, especially in rural areas.  I believe that Dr. Shulkin will work with me to meet the needs of all Montana veterans.”  In a letter to Shulkin on January 25, Daines underscored his commitment to working with Shulkin to improve access

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today highlighted the importance of improving the Veterans Choice Program for Montana’s veterans in a letter to President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David Shulkin.  In the letter, Daines underscored his commitment to working with Shulkin to improve access to timely and quality care for veterans.  “I recently reiterated to Health Net that their performance is unacceptable and have asked for regular updates on their progress,” Daines wrote. “When confirmed, I ask that you to take action immediately to ensure that Montana Veterans are getting the healthcare

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on news that Fort Harrison was downgraded from two stars to just one star in a performance rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  “It’s incredibly disturbing that Fort Harrison is performing far below a level that Montana veterans deserve,” Daines stated. “Clearly, major improvements are needed so that our vets get the best possible care. I’m actively engaged with VA leadership to find solutions to better serve Montana’s veterans.”  This report was from the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2016. ###  

 (U.S. Senate) – Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines introduced legislation today to allow the VA to move forward with expanding its planned outpatient clinic in Missoula. The Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act will authorize the VA to move forward with leasing space in Missoula to expand the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) by 24 percent.  That expansion will allow the VA to see more patients, provide more privacy to veterans seeking care, and better ensure doctors, nurses and medical personnel have the space they need to effectively do their jobs.  “When I visited the Missoula CBOC with Secretary McDonald, I showed

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded unanimous Senate passage of his amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to help veterans who may have been erroneously given a less than honorable discharge from the military due to negative behavior resulting from mental traumas such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).  The bipartisan amendment codifies the principles of the Hagel memo, ensuring Discharge Review Boards (DRBs) give liberal consideration to petitions for changes in discharge status to honorable if the servicemember has PTSD, TBI or related conditions in connection with their military service. Additionally,