Hudson Urges Action on Veteran Caregiver Legislation
July 31, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Fort Bragg's Congressman and sponsor of the Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act, is calling for passage of his legislation as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published a final regulation for its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. On a virtual town hall yesterday with Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-04), co-sponsor of the bill, as well as numerous veteran and caregiver stakeholders, Rep. Hudson called on the House Veterans Affairs Committee to advance the bipartisan legislation as soon as possible.
"As Fort Bragg's Congressman, I know that wounded veterans and their devoted caregivers deserve every measure of support," said Rep. Hudson. "While the final regulation published today is a positive step toward including pre-9/11 era vets in the caregiver program, it fails to address many of the concerns that my bipartisan Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act corrects. I urge the House Veterans Affairs Committee and my colleagues to advance this bill to streamline and modernize this critical program for caregivers and our veterans."
Rep. Hudson introduced H.R. 5701, the Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act, on Jan. 30, 2020. The legislation extends stipend payments and access to health insurance for caregivers to 180 days after the death of a veteran, up from the current 90 days. It eliminates the unnecessary re-application requirements for veterans who require the most significant levels of care and allows for permanent eligibility that gives caregivers peace of mind. The bill also standardizes the evaluation process for determining eligibility to give veterans and caregivers consistency when applying for the program. The legislation currently has 9 cosponsors.
Rep. Hudson spoke to veteran and caregiver organizations yesterday about the bill and urged caregivers and veterans to encourage Members of Congress to advance the legislation.
Previously, he hosted a roundtable discussion at the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury to engage the military caregiver community, determine how the VA Caregiver Program can be improved, and ensure the needs of veterans and their caregivers are met. The Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act incorporates a number of the ideas discussed at the roundtable.
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Issues:Veterans