Veterans Affairs

Why it matters:Serving our country in uniform is an extremely noble undertaking. Our nation has a responsibility to honor our promise to the men and women who selflessly place themselves in harm’s way to protect our nation and ideals.
Where I stand:As the son of an Air Force Master Sergeant, I learned at an early age about the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, as well as the unique challenges military families face. I brought these values with me to Washington where I am working to enhance the quality of life for our servicemembers, veterans and military families.
What I've done: I am committed to using my role as the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies—as well as my seats on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee—to affect positive change at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We have seen movement in the right direction in recent years, much of which has been brought about by bipartisan efforts in Congress.
TheVA MISSION Act of 2018[P.L. 115-182] is a significant addition to Congress’s list of bipartisan efforts to help veterans. This law consolidates and strengthens VA community care programs so veterans will have access to healthcare services in their own communities, improves the VA’s ability to hire high-quality healthcare professionals, expands VA caregiver benefits and creates a process to evaluate and reform VA medical facilities so they can best serve veterans. That same bipartisan spirit needs to be put into action to ensure this sweeping veterans’ healthcare reform law is properly implemented.
Accessing healthcare is just one of the many challenges veterans face as they transition from military to civilian life. Ensuring veterans can lead successful lives after they have separated from service also means fighting for training programs and educational benefits that prepare veterans for jobs in the modern economy. We must also continue to support programs that help homeless veterans find housing and a path forward to a stable life. And we must exhaust every effort to ensure that the veterans who need it get the mental health support they deserve. This is key to reducing the rate of homelessness, opioid abuse and suicide that we tragically see among our veterans.
Our veterans should never face an uphill battle when seeking healthcare services, educational assistance, retirement income or any other earned benefit. I am committed to utilizing my roles on these key committees to ensure that does not happen and to improve the quality of life for the men and women who have sacrificed for our freedoms.
In January 2021, President Donald Trump signed into law theJohnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvements Act of 2020which included the Boozman-championedDeborah Sampson Act, legislation that eliminates barriers to care and services many women veterans face and helps ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can address the needs of women veterans – critically important reform given the reality that women veterans are more likely to face homelessness, unemployment and lack of access to needed health care.
The senator continues to build on this momentum to improve benefits and services for women veterans. In 2022, the Boozman-authoredDr. Kate Hendricks ThomasSupporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments (SERVICE) Actwassigned into law. This law modernizes VA breast cancer screening policies by require the department to conduct mammograms for all women who served in areas associated with burn pits and other toxic exposures regardless of age, symptoms or family history.
Coupled with the Boozman-ledMaking Advances in Mammography and Medical Options (MAMMO) for Veterans Actalsosigned into lawin 2022, the senator has been and continues to be a champion for women veterans and ensuring they have access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings.
Boozman has also advocated to strengthen oversight at the VA by providing the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) the authority to subpoena former VA employees. HisStrengthening Oversight for Veterans Act of 2021,signed into law in 2022, expands the VA OIG’s authority to conduct more thorough investigations and help ensure accountability.
In the 117thCongress, Boozman successfullyfoughtto block veterans resources from being taken away to respond to the crisis at the southern border.Following pressurefrom the senator, the Biden administrationbacked off discussionsof deploying VA personnel to the border to address the surge of immigrants should Title 42 be lifted.
As members of a vulnerable population, veterans and those closest to them needed access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Thanks to Senator Boozman they now have the ability to get vaccinated through the VA. In March 2021, theStrengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse (SAVE LIVES) Actwassigned into law.The Boozman-led initiative was the result of input Arkansas veterans shared with the senator about their experiences with the VA’s COVID-19 vaccination effort. The senator shared those concerns with a VA official during a committee hearing in February 2021.Under questioning from Boozman, Dr. Richard Stone, Acting Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), testified that legislation was needed to authorize an expansion of the VA’s vaccine distribution beyond individuals enrolled in VHA programs. Boozman worked with the Senate VA Committee Chairman to deliver that solution.
Boozman also authored additional provisions to enhance education, pensions, burials and compensation that were included in the legislation signed into law:
In October 2020, President Trump signed into law theCommander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019which includes aBoozman initiative to create a VA grant programthat leverages and supports veteran-serving non-profits and other community networks in order to reduce and prevent veteran suicides.
President Trump signed into law Boozman’sForever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Actto hold the VA accountablefor its failure to fully comply with housing reimbursement rates for student veterans after the VA missed or underpaid benefits owed to these men and women who served our country. Boozman also helped lead the charge on the now-passedSIT-REP Act, whichensures student veterans are not forced to endure additional financial burdens and are not denied access to school facilitiesdue to delayed processing of G.I. Bill benefit payments.
Boozman has authored legislation that funds military construction and veterans programs. TheFY 2019 billincluded a provision to protect veterans from clinical errors at VA facilities by requiring the Secretary of the VA to submit a departmental response plan to Congress that can be applied at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center and all future cases of clinical disclosures and provide recommendations about changes necessary to prevent such incidents.
In 2018, Boozman led successful efforts to allow the transfer of nearly 141 acres of land at Camp Robinson to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs in order tosecure more burial spacefor Natural State veterans. This provision was included in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Also included in the FY 2020 NDAA was Boozman’s language tobroaden wounded warrior adaptive sports programsto allow veterans who were enrolled in their respective service’s Wounded Warrior Program prior to their date of separation to continue rehabilitative services for one year.
Boozmansecured passage of bipartisan legislationallowing servicemembers, veterans and Gold Star Families to access National Parks and federal lands at no cost. This was included as a provision in the FY 2022 NDAA.
Boozman introduced thePurple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, legislation that would extend commissary and exchange privileges to more veterans including Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, veterans with service-connected disabilities and their designated caregivers. This legislation was included in the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that was signed into law.
In 2016, the President signed into law theCombat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016.Boozman introduced this bill in the Senate to refund veterans who have been separated from service for combat-related injuries and received a severance payment that was improperly taxed by the federal government.
Senator Boozman led efforts to improve the VA’s processing of veterans’ benefits by requiring the department to update its IT systems so that claimants are able to electronically review and revise information about dependents.
Boozman fought to get clarification and expansion on the definition of homeless veterans who are eligible for assistance under the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
Boozman’s language tohonor as veteransNational Guard and Reserve retirees who served honorably for a minimum of 20 years was included as a provision in H.R. 6416 that was approved by Congress and signed into law in 2016.
Boozman-authored language to establish aNational Desert Shield and Desert Storm War Memorialin the nation’s capital was included in the National Defense Authorization Act and signed into law in December 2014. Boozman also worked to secure a location of prominence for the memorial near the National Mall.
Boozman championed emergency legislation to protect student veterans from losing their GI Bill benefits because of college closings related to the coronavirus outbreak. TheEmergency GI Fix for Coronavirus School Closuresbill was signed into law by President Trump. It gave the VA temporary authority to continue GI Bill payments uninterrupted in the event of national emergencies, allowing for continued payment of benefits even if the program has changed from on-site learning to online education.
In August 2020, the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) announced it will work with the VA to enable members of the Guard and Reserve toconcurrently use Federal Tuition Assistance and GI Bill benefitsto fund their education, similar to active duty servicemembers. The decision achieves the goals of theMontgomery GI Bill Parity Act,legislation introduced by Boozman, to enable Guard and Reserve members to receive the full education benefits to which they are entitled.
In the 115thCongress, Boozman introduced theVeteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) Actto expand and strengthen the VA’s pilot program that covers the costs ofnon-traditional technology education programsand theGI Bill Fairness Actthat ensures wounded members of the National Guard and Reserve receive the education benefits they earned through the GI Bill. Both bills were included theHarry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, acomprehensive GI Bill reform packagethat was signed into law.
In the 112thCongress Boozman introduced legislation to update the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Language from his bill was included in a larger veterans package that was signed into law.
Boozman authored theVeterans’ Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitative Services’ Improvements Act of 2011. This was included in a larger legislative package to improve veterans’ benefits that was signed into law in 2012.