A wide-ranging veterans policy bill that seeks to bolster home caregiver programs, provide more support for homeless veterans and fix the beleaguered electronic health records program appears to be falling victim to election-year politics, veterans service organizations are warning.
Veterans groups and congressional staff were hopeful that the legislation would pass early this summer after the Republicans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee announced an agreement on the bill last month.
But opposition from House Democrats and some Republicans has raised doubts about the future of the bill. Veterans groups say the opposition is being fueled by misinformation about what the legislation would do and that the partisan bickering is leaving veterans and their families caught in the middle waiting for desperately needed improvements.
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“This is something that we need now, whether you’re Democrat or Republican,” said Lara Garey, a fellow with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation who was a caregiver for her husband before he died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, two years ago. “Caregivers are pushing their mental and physical health to a breaking point because we want to sit around and play politics with legislation that’s needed now. Pass it….
