House passes bipartisan 'Dole Act' to expand care options for veterans

The House on Monday voted overwhelmingly to pass the "Dole Act" which funds a wide range of care services and boosts employment and education options for veterans.

The bill, which was named after former North Carolina GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole, passed in a 389-9 vote, per The Hill. The bill gives veterans more options for at-home care and housing, increases their access to mental health care, and covers ambulance rides to the VA, among others.

House Veteran Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost said the passage was the first step for Republicans to fulfill the mandate they were given by voters earlier this month, when they flipped the White House and Senate and retained the lower chamber.

“The Dole Act would rightfully make sure that a VA bureaucracy cannot veto a doctor’s medical decisions,” Bost said on the House floor. “Two weeks ago, the American people voted us a mandate to fix problems they talked about at their kitchen tables that affect their families and communities every single day. The Dole Act is a foundation for that work to begin with the veterans community.”

House Veteran Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano said that he supports the bill, but was wary that it would not pass the Senate because a previous version of the bill allegedly outsourced veteran healthcare to other providers instead of keeping it within the VA system.

“We want VA to remain a strong provider of care, instead of diminishing it to nothing more than an insurance company where profits are prioritized over outcomes for veterans,” Takano told The Hill.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.