On December 7, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a bill (H.R. 6342) that extends certain veterans’ programs and reauthorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans’ biennial report to Congress. The House approved the measure by voice vote on December 6. The bill now heads to the White House for President Bush’s signature.
Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) stated, “The number of women veterans will increase in the coming years. Thirteen percent of the veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have turned to VA for health care are women, and 11 percent of the troops deployed there are women. This bill makes sure that Congress receives the report and recommendations of the VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, which can help guide our actions and oversight of VA’s capacity to address the unique needs of these veterans.”
