Homeless veterans are at high risk for COVID-19 infection and must not be left behind as the country combats the pandemic. S. 3898 would relax certain regulations and enable the Veterans Administration (VA) to use existing resources to offer homeless veterans the additional assistance they may need, including transportation, communication devices and services, and basic amenities, like clothing, blankets, and hygiene items.
September 1, 2020
The Honorable Dan Sullivan
Senator from Alaska
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Kyrsten Sinema
Senator from Arizona
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Cc. Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)
Dear Senators Sinema and Sullivan,
On behalf of the 2.2 million members of AMAC – Association of Mature American Citizens, I write to offer our support for S. 3898, the Homeless Veterans Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 and its House companion, H.R. 7105.
The coronavirus has presented America with many social, financial and health challenges. As a nation, we cannot afford to overlook the vulnerable members of our society during this crisis, especially those who have honorably served in our armed forces. Homeless veterans represent one of the most at-risk demographics for COVID-19 infection and are certainly deserving all of the support and care they need to fight this virus.
S. 3898 would relax certain regulations and enable the Veterans Administration (VA) to use existing resources to offer homeless veterans the additional assistance they may need, including transportation, communication devices and services, and basic amenities, like clothing, blankets, and hygiene items. The bill would also allow the VA to work with partner organizations to set up shelters on its properties. Importantly, the bill ensures homeless veterans have access to the VA’s telehealth services.
Thank you, Senators Sinema and Sullivan, and your bipartisan colleagues, for sponsoring legislation that keeps homeless veterans and their healthcare needs top-of-mind during this pandemic. As an organization comprised of many veterans, AMAC is pleased to offer our organization’s full support for S. 3898, the Homeless Veterans Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 and its companion, H.R. 7105.
Sincerely,
Bob Carlstrom
President, AMAC Action
Copyright © 2024 AMAC, Inc. / AMAC Senior Resources Network. All rights reserved.
The VA has a mission, it’s health care for veterans. Every dollar you take away from the primary mission to fund another hopeless problem makes less money available for the health care mission. Currently mental health is drastically understaffed without sufficient facilities to take care of this increasing population. Can you roll homelessness into mental health – probably? And make a bad situation worse – probably. This is what’s happened to social security. We’ve funded so much “other stuff” with social security funds that now social security is going broke. You’re doing the same with the VA. The VA provides good health care. If we leave the VA to it’s mission they will continue to provide good health care. Leave the VA alone and stop adding programs that take away from the primary mission. Helping the homeless is not their mission. They’re not staffed or funded for that mission.
The VA has a mission, it’s health care for veterans. Every dollar you take away from the primary mission to fund another hopeless problem makes less money available for the health care mission. Currently mental health is drastically understaffed without sufficient facilities to take care of this increasing population. Can you roll homelessness into mental health – probably? And make a bad situation worse – probably. This is what’s happened to social security. We’ve funded so much “other stuff” with social security funds that now social security is going broke. You’re doing the same with the VA. The VA provides good health care. If we leave the VA to it’s mission they will continue to provide good health care. Leave the VA alone and stop adding programs that take away from the primary mission. Helping the homeless is not their mission. They’re not staffed or funded for that mission.