Tillis: We Must Empower the VA, not Privatize it | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    WASHINGTON, D.C.     Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, chaired a joint House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing to welcome the American Legion members visiting Washington, D.C. to give their legislative presentation. Senator Tillis was filling in for Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who recently had back surgery and is recovering at his home in Georgia.

    "We are focused on making healthcare more available to veterans through care in both the private and public sector in the VA," said Senator Tillis. "We do not want to privatize the VA, but instead empower the VA, and we look forward to working collaboratively with the American Legion and all of the stakeholders so together we can solve the problems plaguing the VA."

    Since being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, Tillis has made helping veterans a top priority. In the 115th Congress, Senator Tillis has introduced the bipartisan BRAVE Act that would support job creation for America's veterans as well as the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act that would create a center of excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand the health effects associated with burn pits and treat veterans who become sick after exposure.

    During his first two years as a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Tillis worked across the aisle and with the VA Secretary to implement the MyVA Breakthrough Priorities and advance proposals to reform the VA, expand education and job opportunities for veterans, and had several of his bipartisan proposals signed into law.

• Contact: Daniel Keylin
•     daniel_keylin@tillis.senate.gov