Tell the Senate: Pass Senator Sanders Bill to Improve the VA. Dont Let Republicans Filibuster It While Republicans were busy trying to score political points over VA hospital wait times, progressive hero Senator Bernie Sanders was actually trying to do something to solve the problem. With 2 million more veterans coming into the system in recent years, the fact is that many VA facilities do not have the staff to provide quality care in a timely fashion. Senator Sanders bill, the Restoring Veterans Trust Act of 2014, would fix that: The bill ends long waiting lists by allowing veterans to get care outside of the system rather than wait; Much of the problem at the VA is that there are too few doctors and nurses. This bill authorizes hiring more practitioners in the places they are needed. For doctors who commit to working for the VA, it provides scholarships and loan forgiveness. Its a sensible bill, it has the support of veterans (see letter below) and it should have bipartisan backing. But the same Republicans who love to beat their chest about supporting the troops actually filibustered this bill the last time Sanders proposed it. Dont let them do it again. Tell the Senate to pass Sanders bill, and dont let the Republicans filibuster it. And please read and forward this letter in strong support of the bill from Iraq War veteran and VoteVets chairman Jon Soltz ----------------- Like many veterans, when I returned home from Iraq, I sought care at a VA facility near my home. So you can imagine why the politicization of the disclosures at the VA facility in Phoenix has gotten me down. The truth is, we’ve all known for some time that the veterans health system needs real reform. And while President Obama and Secretary Shinseki have done admirable work to reduce the backlog, we’ve long needed solutions that get to the root of the problems. This week, the U.S. Senate has a chance to take meaningful action to improve veterans health care, and I hope they take it this time. Join VoteVets and Campaign for Americans Future and tell your Senators to vote for Bernie Sanders’ Restoring Veterans’ Trust Act of 2014. Here’s what the bill does: Authorizes the VA to hire new doctors and nurses, closing the gap between a growing number of veterans returning home to seek care and the number of health care professionals able to deliver it. Allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase the number of locations delivering care by leasing twenty-seven new health facilities in eighteen states. To address long-term needs, the legislation awards scholarships and forgives student debt for health care professionals willing to accept positions at the VA. These are important steps Congress should take right now in order to improve short and long-term care for our nation’s veterans. Tell the Senate to support the Restoring Veterans’ Trust Act of 2014. In late February, right-wing Senators led a filibuster against similar legislation that would have struck at the root of problems within the VA system. It’s time to end the talk and take some action. Jon Soltz Iraq War Veteran and Chairman VoteVets.org You have received this email because you took one of our actions, or subscribed to our email list. If you did not subscribe, or would no longer like to receive email updates unsubscribe here. PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY LEFT ACTION 2013
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 16:41:32 +0000
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