Congresswoman Angie Craig Secures Increase in Veterans Health Care and Mental Health Services in House Appropriations Legislation

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig has authored and pushed for improvements in health care and mental health services for veterans. Her efforts were included in today's passage of the FY2021 appropriations bill containing funding for Military Construction & Veterans Affairs and Department of the Interior.

"We owe our veterans a debt that can never be repaid. I've fought to increase veteran health care across the Second Congressional District and proud that today we came together to support our nation's veterans. We must continue to prioritize increasing resources, especially in our rural communities, for mental health services and for burn pit exposure treatments so that the service members who fought to uphold our ideals can get high-quality service where they live," said Rep. Craig. "I'm also very excited that the Dakota County Veterans Memorial Greenway as a space to honor Minnesota's veterans every day is closer to reality. I urge the Senate to set aside their partisan games and support our nation's veterans."

You can watch Rep. Craig's floor remarks here.

Today's bill includes the following provisions authored and championed by Rep. Craig:

• Increased funding for the VA's Rural Health Resource Centers aimed to meet veterans in their communities, including the $1.5 million increase added by Rep. Craig's amendment.
• New reporting on steps being taken to improve mental health care for veterans including efforts to fill provider positions.
• Innovative solutions to intervene early with at-risk veterans by providing their families with support and tools.
• Expanding in-person mental health care to be available in all VA locations.
• More than $300M for suicide prevention outreach, a more than $90M increase over last year.
• Improved and increased care for burn pit exposure by carrying out the recommendations from the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Centers of Excellence.
• Increased funding for the Office of Rural Health so they can continue their research to navigate barriers and expand access to care.
• Report language in the Interior bill intended to facilitate the establishment of the Dakota County Veterans Memorial Greenway with Land and Water Conservation Fund funding prioritized for greenways, parks, tails and other outdoor facilities in honor of America's veterans.

H.R. 7608 supports our military personnel, bolsters resources for military families, and provides robust funding for veterans' benefits, healthcare, and other programs with an increase of $15.2 billion above the fiscal year 2020 enacted level and $2.3 billion above the President's budget request.