We know that the battles for returning veterans in Minnesota and across the country don’t always end when they get home. Too many return with mental and physical disabilities that they sustained while protecting our freedoms. All that veterans expect in return for their service is for us to keep our promises and get them the Veterans Administration benefits they’ve earned.
That’s why I have once again joined with Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz to reintroduce bipartisan legislation to help the VA speed up the claims process that is forcing hundreds of thousands of veterans to wait 125 days or more to get the help they need.
While the problem is improving, significant work remains to cut the current VA backlog and prevent future problems. Our bill will allow veterans to see local, qualified doctors for medical examinations that now require long waits at a VA facility for the same exam. This change will cut the long wait times at VA hospitals, enable quicker diagnoses of disabilities, and help eliminate unnecessary trips to the VA for veterans in rural communities.
The goal is simple: we must uphold the promises that our nation has made to our veterans.
U.S. Senator Al Franken
Washington, D.C.
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