Take Care of Veterans Act
I’m not a veteran. I never wore the uniform. I never deployed overseas. I never stood watch in the middle of the night or left my family behind to defend this country. However, I know, and deeply care for, people who have.
These loved ones are friends, family members, and neighbors. They’re people who raised their right hand when America called. I believe that when someone volunteers to serve our country, the rest of us have a responsibility to keep our promises to them.
That’s why Congress should pass the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act.
This measure isn’t about politics, but about making sure veterans can get the care they’ve already earned.
For years, we’ve heard stories of veterans waiting weeks—or even months—for appointments, navigating confusing bureaucratic processes, or struggling to access specialists close to home. The VA has made important improvements over the years, but anyone who’s managed a large health care system knows that one size rarely fits all.
That’s exactly why the Veterans’ ACCESS Act—one of the key provisions included in the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act—matters so much.
The idea is simple: if the VA can’t provide timely care, veterans should have a clear, permanent path to receive care in their own communities. It shouldn’t depend on changing bureaucratic policies or administrative interpretations. It should be written into law.
Americans overwhelmingly agree. Concerned Veterans for America’s latest national polling found that 75 percent of Americans support legislation establishing clear access standards that allow veterans to receive care outside the VA when appropriate. More than seven in ten also believe that access standards should be made permanent.
In a country where it sometimes feels impossible to find agreement on anything, Americans across the political spectrum agree that veterans deserve greater certainty and more choices in their health care. This proposal is common sense.
This legislation would also improve transparency, hold the VA accountable for accurately reporting wait times, modernize veterans’ access to care, and strengthen access to mental health services. These aren’t partisan ideas. They’re practical reforms designed to ensure the system works for the people it was built to serve.
As someone who never served, I don’t pretend to know what military life demands, but I do know this: the freedoms I enjoy every day were protected by men and women willing to make sacrifices most Americans—including me—have never had to make.
The least we can do is make sure government doesn’t stand between them and the health care they’ve earned.
Honoring our nation’s veterans shouldn’t end when they take off the uniform. It should continue every time they need medical care, every time they seek treatment for invisible wounds, and every time they depend on a system our country promised would be there for them.
Congress now has an opportunity to strengthen that promise. Whether you’re a veteran, a family member, or simply an American who believes our nation should honor its commitments, your voice matters.
Visit ConcernedVets.org today to learn more about the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act and contact your members of Congress. Tell them to support legislation that gives veterans timely care, greater choice, and the accountability they’ve earned.
Congress only has a limited amount of days to bring this to the President’s desk. Supporting our veterans shouldn’t be limited to holidays, parades, or speeches. It should mean keeping our promises.
This is Emily Brey, State Director with Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania.
