Arkansas members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) advocated for improvements to women veterans’ health programs and called for passage of the Deborah Sampson Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) that would ensure the VA better supports women veterans’ needs.
VFW members were in the nation’s capital this week to promote the organization’s 2019 priorities which include improving women veterans’ health care and combatting the epidemic of veteran suicides.
In addition to Boozman’s support of the Deborah Sampson Act, last week he helped introduce the Reach Every Veteran in Crisis Act, legislation to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) suicide prevention programs. Boozman previously included language in the FY19 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill that requires the VA to develop metrics to evaluate the efficacy of all of its mental health and suicide prevention programs.
“The VFW is instrumental in helping Congress identify improvements that need to be made at the VA to ensure we live up to the promise we made to veterans. There is no substitute for coming to Washington to share these priorities. I look forward to advancing these policies so we can deliver results for veterans,” Boozman said.
Boozman met on Tuesday, March 5 with Arkansas VFW members in his Washington office
During the VFW’s advocacy days, the organization’s leaders also testify before a joint hearing of the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Boozman asked VFW Commander-in-Chief Vincent “B.J.” Lawrence about what Congress should focus on to improve the VA’s health care for women veterans during that hearing. You can watch Boozman’s questions to the commander here.
