WWP Applauds Passage and Signing of Omnibus Veterans Bill

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) thanks the White House and Congress for their support of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, an omnibus bill that will positively impact the lives of veterans across the country.

The Dole Act, signed into law Jan. 2 by President Joe Biden, was created from a range of bipartisan proposals and includes dozens of provisions improving the delivery of services and programs by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some of the issues the bill addresses include long-term care, mental health, caregivers, women veterans, education, and job training.

"Wounded Warrior Project's focus has always been on ensuring that post-9/11 veterans receive the care they need in order to achieve their highest ambitions after service," said WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Walter E. Piatt. "It is no stretch to say that almost every wounded veteran in the country will be affected by the Dole Act. This legislation is a statement that the United States must continue to fulfill its promise and responsibility to take care of our veterans who have earned these programs through their military service to our country."

WWP testified on several occasions before Congress over the past two years about many of these issues and is gratified to see several of its legislative priorities included in the Dole Act, including:

• Removing the monetary cap on what VA can spend to support the long-term needs of veterans who live at home.
• Providing VA with the ability to pay for assisted living during a three-year pilot program.
• Raising standards for how VA reports on veteran suicide.
• Extending the popular VET-TEC program so veterans can participate in high-tech education training and prepare for competitive jobs.
• Creating a new pilot program to allow the Department of the Interior to place veterans in outdoor jobs related to conservation and resource management.
• Increasing financial support to agencies that provide transitional housing for veterans experiencing homelessness.

Piatt thanked representatives and senators from both parties for coming together in a bipartisan fashion to listen to the concerns of organizations like WWP and develop the Dole Act. The work of Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Representatives Mike Bost (R-IL) and Mark Takano (D-CA) was especially instrumental in ensuring the bill's passage.

"The Dole Act provides numerous services and programs to veterans who sacrificed so much for our country," said Piatt. "I'm grateful for the bi-partisan support on this important bill. We owe our veterans a great debt, and by working together, we show that veterans getting the care they have earned is an issue every American should support."

About WWP
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project. 

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project