Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2007

CONTACT
Caroline Burns
202-225-3631

BISHOP VOTES TO HONOR VETERANS, IMPROVE BENEFITS AND SERVICES FOR RETURNING TROOPS

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Representative from Georgia’s Second Congressional District, today joined a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives to pass legislation to improve benefits and services for America’s veterans.

“As we approach the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, Americans across the country will be honoring our veterans,” said Bishop. “However, it is my hope that with this legislation, we are honoring our courageous veterans not just for today, tomorrow or this weekend, but well into the future.”

Since January, the new Congress has worked to honor veterans by improving veterans’ health care, strengthening benefits for those currently serving, and providing long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served. Additionally, the Congress has led calls for new management in the wake of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Scandal and fought to increase veterans’ health care and benefits programs by nearly $12 billion, including nearly $2 billion for veterans in the Iraq supplemental.

The legislation passed by the House of Representatives today addresses some of the new challenges facing veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and includes:

• Traumatic Brain Injury/Rural Veterans Outreach (H.R. 2199): Ensures that our veterans are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury and receive the appropriate treatment. More than half of combat casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan have associated brain injuries, often due to improvised explosive devices.  The legislation also expands VA resources to provide rural communities with “mobile vet centers” for mental health services and benefits outreach.

• Returning Servicemember VA Healthcare Insurance Act (H.R. 612): Helps ensure that soldiers with mental health conditions as a result of combat (such as post-traumatic stress disorder -PTSD) who are not immediately diagnosed are treated by making those veterans eligible for health care for five years after leaving active duty. 

• Veterans Outreach Improvement Act (H.R. 67): Allows the VA to partner with state and local governments to reach out to veterans and their families in ensuring they receive the benefits they have earned.

• Early Access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Benefits Act (H.R. 2239): Extends eligibility for rehabilitation benefits from the Veterans' Affairs Department.

• Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act (H.R. 1470): Requires that chiropractic care and services be provided to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

###