WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – today led the committee in hearing from witnesses – including veterans and their family members – about the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) placing restrictions on access to life-saving care for veterans with mental health conditions and addiction who are at high-risk for suicide.

“I have heard countless stories from veterans in Kansas and across the country who live in faraway places from VA facilities about those challenges,” said Sen. Moran. “In the absence of VA's community care program, these veterans would not be able to use the VA health care benefits they earned.”

“The same can be said of veterans who face long wait times at VA, veterans who require a service that their local VA doesn’t offer or veterans who have unique needs that are best served through community care,” continued Sen. Moran. “The MISSION Act was created so that VA could more seamlessly care for those veterans. However, seven years after the MISSION Act was signed into law, it is still not fully living up to its promise.”

Click here to watch Sen. Moran’s opening remarks.