WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Senate Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Committee members, announced today the Senate VA Committee advanced their bipartisan “Nursing Home Care for Native American Veterans Act” through committee and onto the Senate floor.
“While Native Americans have some of the highest rates of military participation, they have significantly less access to necessary care and assistance,” said Senator Cramer. “By eliminating a loophole preventing VA funds from going toward the construction of nursing homes on tribal lands, our bill will help Native American veterans obtain the infrastructure and resources they need. I appreciate my colleagues joining us in supporting this effort and urge the full Senate to pass our legislation quickly.”
“Native American veterans in Arizona earned the same benefits as all other veterans,” said Senator Sinema. “We are ensuring that as Native American veterans age, they have access to quality care in their communities.”
The “Nursing Home Care for Native American Veterans Act” supports the construction of veteran nursing homes on tribal lands by authorizing the VA Secretary to make certain grants available for nursing home construction on tribal lands. Currently, there are no veteran nursing homes on tribal lands, which are excluded from a law allowing for 65 percent of construction costs of veteran nursing homes to be reimbursed. This bipartisan bill eliminates that exclusion.
The bill is endorsed by the Navajo Nation, the National Indian Health Board, and the National Congress of American Indians.