FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 19, 2016
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Lauren Gaydos, 202-224-9126
Isakson Applauds Passage of Bill to Authorize VA Programs
Bill will ensure veterans continue receiving health care, benefits, protect GI Bill users from potential loss of benefits
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today released the
following statement on the Senate passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016
(H.R.5985):
“As members of Congress, our job is to make sure that veterans get the care and benefits they deserve,”
said Isakson.
“This crucial bill will
ensure that vital Department of Veterans Affairs services, such as
programs to help homeless veterans, continue into the new fiscal year.
It will also protect certain veterans using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
who may lose those benefits
if their school loses its accreditation. This bill keeps our promise to
our veterans, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016
authorizes VA’s services for the next fiscal year and ensures that
the VA’s homeless programs and adaptive sports programs do not shut
down. It also includes a provision that would allow the VA to protect
veterans using VA education benefits if the Secretary
of Education withdraws recognition of the agency that accredited a
veteran’s school.
The Senate approved the
Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016
by a vote of 89-0. The House previously passed H.R.5985 on September 13,
2016, and the bill will now go to the president’s desk for his
signature.
Watch Isakson’s floor remarks on the
Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016 here.
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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.
Isakson
is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard
from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since
he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home
state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations
representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000
veterans.
veterans
