Senator Patty Murray never stops fighting for veterans. Her office notes:
Highlighting Year of Major Expansion of VA’s Caregiver Support Program, Senator Murray Urges Lawmakers and Advocates to Stay Focused on Strengthening Support for Veterans and Their Caregivers
At an event for
military & veteran caregivers hosted by the Elizabeth Dole
Foundation, Senator Murray cheered the passage of new legislation to
expand program to veterans of all eras
VA Caregiver Support Program provides resources and support to those who put their own lives on hold to care for a veteran with service-connected injuries
Senator Murray: “…when
we join together to fight for things such as the Caregiver Support
Program, and a stronger VA system…we begin to make good on the promise
to care for you—the caregivers and veterans—long after the battles are
over”
A senior member of the
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Murray has led the fight to
increase federal support for veteran caregivers and worked successfully
to strengthen investments to expand VA’s Caregiver Support Program to
veterans of all eras
ICYMI:
In Huge Win for Military Families, Senator Murray Applauds Passage of
Sweeping Legislation to Improve Veterans’ Care, Which Includes Her
Provision to Expand VA’s Caregiver Support Program – LINK
(Washington, D.C.) –
Underlining the nation’s obligation to care for our military veterans
and their families after they return home, today U.S. Senator Patty
Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee
and the daughter of a World War II veteran, joined military veterans,
caregivers, lawmakers, and other advocates to celebrate recent wins to
expand VA’s Caregiver Support Program and increase federal support for
veterans and their caregivers. In remarks at the U.S. Capitol, Senator
Murray recognized the hard work of the veteran caregiver community to
help successfully pass the VA MISSION Act, which included a provision
written by Senator Murray that finally makes veterans of all eras
eligible for the VA’s Caregiver Support Program, and get it signed into
law earlier this year; Senator Murray also applauded the coalition’s
efforts to help secure significant federal investments in the program in
the spending bill passed by Congress in June. Senator Murray challenged
attendees to continue pushing VA to ensure the program is implemented
as Congress intended and puts the needs of veterans and their caregivers
first.
A longtime champion for strengthening
federal investments in caring for veterans, during her time as Chairman
of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Senator Murray oversaw the
initial implementation of the Caregiver Support Program in 2011, and
during the rule-making process, fought back against efforts to curtail
eligibility. Given the popularity and success of the program, Senator
Murray first introduced legislation in 2014 to expand the program to
veterans of all eras, reintroducing the legislation in 2015 and 2017.
Senator Murray has also consistently worked
to hold senior VA officials accountable for implementing the program in
a way that works best for veterans and their caregivers—not the least
of which is creating clear, standardized eligibility requirements—and
recently helped secure additional federal investments in VA’s Caregiver Support Program.
Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks (as prepared for delivery):
“And what I especially love about the
Caregiver Support Program is that it’s all about putting our country’s
values and appreciation for our veterans into practice. It offers
resources and support, training, a stipend, access to health care—the
list goes on. And starting with this legislation, we’ll also begin
offering legal and financial advising to help caregivers and veterans
tackle some of the unique and very complex issues they face…[b]ut I want
to caution, while the expansion represents an exciting new chapter,
this is not case closed. So don’t get comfortable just yet—and don’t
stop working to make sure every lawmaker up on the Hill hears your story
and knows exactly how important this program is.”
“In the coming months and years, we
must be sure the VA has the resources and guidance it needs to carry out
the Caregiver Support Program successfully, and in the manner we
intended – because the program absolutely must work for veterans and
their caregivers, and put their needs first. It won’t be easy. Rolling
out a substantive program—especially one that has so many individual and
regional needs—won’t always be smooth sailing. But I believe with our
shared commitment to put our veterans and their needs first, this can be
done, especially because I have partners in all of you.”
“This country owes you a debt of
gratitude that we can never fully repay. But I hope that when we join
together to fight for things such as the Caregiver Support Program, and a
stronger VA system, and so much more, we begin to make good on the
promise to care for you—the caregivers and veterans—long after the
battles are over.”
Full text of Senator Murray’s remarks (as prepared for delivery):
“Thank you, Steve, for that
introduction—and thank you to everyone at the Dole Foundation for
putting this wonderful event together.
“It is truly an honor to join you this
morning to say a few words and be among the many veterans, and veteran
and military caregivers, who have inspired me to fight for so many years
on behalf of the Caregiver Program.
“And what a year it’s been for our efforts!
“In May, thanks in no small part to the
steady leadership of Chairman Isakson and Ranking Member Tester,
Congress passed legislation that included my provision to expand the
Caregiver program, meaning veterans of all eras will be eligible for the
VA’s caregiver support services in the coming years.
“And one month after the legislation
passed, we secured a huge investment for the VA in the annual spending
bill to help make that expansion a reality.
“This one-two punch—legislation and
investment will do so much to help fulfill our country’s enduring
promise to veterans, especially those who have suffered an injury while
defending our freedoms.
“And what I especially love about the
Caregiver Support Program is that it’s all about putting our country’s
values and appreciation for our veterans into practice.
“It offers resources and support, training, a stipend, access to health care—the list goes on.
“And starting with this legislation, we’ll
also begin offering legal and financial advising to help caregivers and
veterans tackle some of the unique and very complex issues they face.
“Those are just a few of the things that our country can and should do for veterans and their caregivers.
“But I want to caution, while the expansion represents an exciting new chapter, this is not case closed.
“So don’t get comfortable just yet – and
don’t stop working to make sure every lawmaker up on the Hill hears your
story and knows exactly how important this program is.
“In the coming months and years, we must
be sure the VA has the resources and guidance it needs to carry out the
Caregiver Support Program successfully, and in the manner we intended –
because the program absolutely must work for veterans and their
caregivers, and put their needs first.
“It won’t be easy.
“Rolling out a substantive program—especially one that has so many individual and regional needs—won’t always be smooth sailing.
“But I believe with our shared commitment
to put our veterans and their needs first, this can be done, especially
because I have partners in all of you.
“That includes the staff at the Dole
Foundation, who have all done so much of the hard work behind the scenes
to make the wins we celebrate today a reality.
“And of course, the founder.
“Having worked alongside Senator Elizabeth
Dole for years, I can tell you, her dedication to our nation’s veterans
is unmatched, and so many of the successes we’ve been able to celebrate
in recent years have her fingerprints all over it.
“But of course, the true inspiration to
all of our efforts is the brave men and women who served our country,
and their spouses, parents, and other loved ones who may have never worn
a uniform, but sacrificed nonetheless.
“And not only did you serve your country, now you’re on Capitol Hill, advocating on behalf of future generations of veterans.
“This country owes you a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay.
“But I hope that when we join together to
fight for things such as the Caregiver Support Program, and a stronger
VA system, and so much more, we begin to make good on the promise to
care for you—the caregivers and veterans—long after the battles are
over.
“So congratulations again to everyone here on the Caregiver Support Program expansion.
“This was a team effort, and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together.
“Please know you’ll always have a partner in me.
“Thank you.”
