| Addressing
the persistent lack of funding for veterans’ health continues
to dominate Senator Kerry’s work on veterans’ issues.
New England’s veterans health care programs have been
under severe financial strain for several years, and the Senator
continues to work to boost funding and ensure that veterans
have access to the quality health care they were promised.
Efforts underway to improve the efficiency of health care
delivery in New England are beginning to show results, but
the number of veterans using these services continues to rise.
In addition to supporting a Fiscal Year 2002 budget amendment
to increase funding for veterans medical care by $1.718
billion, Senator Kerry has supported a number of bills aimed
at increasing or simplifying veterans’ access to the
full range of benefits they were promised. These include
bills to increase survivor benefits, to modify and extend
educational assistance under the GI Bill, and to permit
retirees to receive both disability compensation and their
retirement pay. To ensure continuing public support for
and understanding of the sacrifices made by America’s
veterans, Senator Kerry also cosponsored legislation designating
the week of November 11, 2001 as “National Veterans
Awareness Week.”
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