Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee advances Access Act and bipartisan veterans package amid debate over community care

The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted to advance a bipartisan package of veterans' legislation, including the Access Act (S.275), moving the bills toward the full Senate after a roll-call vote and additional unanimous-consent actions.

The committee’s chairman, speaking at the start of debate, said he would “be voting in favor of all the bills we're considering today,” and described a 24-bill package that the panel planned to consider, ranging from expanded VA health care access to research into low-level blast injuries and supports for caregivers, student veterans and women veterans.

Why it matters: The Access Act would extend and refine rules for community care for veterans, a central and contentious issue for the VA. Supporters said it would increase timely access to services for veterans who live far from VA facilities; opponents cautioned it risks undermining the VA’s role as the principal provider of veterans’ care.

Supporters and opponents Senator Richard Blumenthal, the committee’s ranking member, said the committee had worked in a bipartisan fashion and described the Access Act as a measure to reduce “bureaucratic hurdles” for victims of military sexual trauma and to expand treatment access. “We’re still capable of coming together in good faith to advance ideas and legislation on their behalf,” Blumenthal said.

Senator Marsha Blackburn, a bill supporter, urged permanence for access standards and broader pilots beyond…