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Klobuchar Honors Veterans Day; Introduces Legislation to Expand Health Care Access for Veterans and Families

Klobuchar to speak at weekend events honoring Veterans

November 9, 2007

Washington, D.C. – Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) marked the start of Veterans Day weekend by announcing that she will introduce two new initiatives on behalf of Minnesota’s veterans: the Rural Veterans Mobile Support System and a bill expanding access to mental health care for Guard and Reserve families.

“As a nation, we have an obligation to wrap our arms around the soldiers and families who serve and sacrifice for us,” said Klobuchar.  “As they return to communities across Minnesota, we owe it to our soldiers to ensure they have access to the health care, education, and resources they need for a smooth return to civilian life.”

Klobuchar’s bill would expand and ensure access to mental health care for the family members of deployed Guard and Reserve soldiers.  This legislation addresses concerns Senator Klobuchar has heard across Minnesota from Guard and Reserve families who face challenges in coping with the absence of their deployed family members.  The bill will require TRICARE plans to cover mental health care or substance abuse treatment at any state-accredited facility enrolled for family members of deployed Guard and Reserve soldiers. Currently, mental health care resources for military families are largely limited to care provided on major military installations or through TRICARE designated facilities.

Klobuchar’s Rural Veterans Mobile Support System is a pilot program that will mobilize VA resources to bring them directly to veterans in rural communities.  The program would bring VA doctors, nurses, and caseworkers directly to veterans in areas where access to VA facilities is limited.  Its services would include the ability to prescribe, fill, and deliver necessary medication to veterans; regular mental health screenings to identify potential mental health disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or substance-abuse; and job-placement assistance and information on employment or training opportunities.  The Mobile Support System would also offer assistance with paperwork and counseling on available benefits, such as pensions or tuition assistance.

Both bills will be introduced in the Senate next week.

Senator Klobuchar has pursued a number of initiatives on behalf of the Minnesota National Guard and all of Minnesota’s veterans:

• Supported Minnesota’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program, securing increased funding for the program as part of the FY08 Defense Appropriations bill and co-sponsoring with Senator Coleman an amendment creating a national reintegration program based on Minnesota’s successful model.
• Secured $3.5 million for the construction of a Joint Force Headquarters and Emergency Operations Center at Arden Hills Army Training Site and $17.45 million for the Collective Training Facility at Camp Ripley. The funding passed as part of the H.R. 2642, the 2008 Appropriations bill for Military Construction, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, which passed the full Senate yesterday and is headed to the President for signature.
• Co-sponsored amendment on behalf of National Guard Certified Nurse Aides to allow nursing aides who have served on active duty an additional 24 months after returning from active duty service to perform nurse or nurse-related services before expiration of their certifications.  This amendment came at the request of Minnesota National Guard members in Iraq.
• Supported the Coming Together for Guard and Reserve Families Act: Provides support and assistance for families of members of the Selected Reserve who are undergoing deployment.
• Co-sponsor of the Total Force Educational Assistance Enhancement and Integration Act, which would provide more equitable educational benefits to the Selected Reserve (National Guard members and Reservists who are most ready and first to be mobilized). 
• Introduced the “National Guard and Reserve Education Benefit Fairness Act” to provide educational benefits to members of the Selected Reserve based on the length of their actual Active Duty service, not the service date printed on their orders.  The bill comes as a direct response to the case of the Minnesota National Guard members of the 1/34th Brigade Combat Team, in which about half of the soldiers returning from a 16-month deployment in Iraq were denied full educational benefit packages. 

“Our promises to our nation’s soldiers shouldn’t be wrapped in red tape,” said Klobuchar. “What has happened to our Minnesota “Red Bulls” should never happen to another returning unit.  Many of these soldiers have put their education on hold, their lives on hold, and their families on hold to honor their duty and serve our nation. By awarding these benefits, we’re doing something for them in return.”

In October, Klobuchar also brought together leaders of Minnesota’s veterans community, including VA officials, MN National Guard commanders, representatives from veterans service organizations, and concerned citizens to who are actively working to repay the debt we owe our state’s veterans at a Veteran’s Summit. The summit led to an engaging discussion of how we can better address the challenges our soldiers face when they return from the battlefield, and how we can deliver on our long-term commitment to support our veterans.

Senator Klobuchar will attend several events honoring Veterans Day weekend, including:

Saturday, November 10

10:00-11:00 a.m.
Minnesota State Veterans Day Ceremony
Veterans Memorial Community Center
8055 Barbara Avenue
Inver Grove Heights

Sunday, November 11

11:00 a.m.-noon
“First Flag Raising” Ceremony for the Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial             
Purgatory Creek Park
13001 Technology Drive
Eden Prairie
                                               
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Veterans Day Program
Minneapolis Veterans Home
5101 Minnehaha Avenue South
Minneapolis

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