Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched the first phase of the expansion of the VA Family Caregiver Program to the caregivers of pre-9/11 veterans. “Today is a historic day for the thousands of caregivers who selflessly tend to our pre-9/11 veterans,” said Ranking Member Roe. “Since President Trump signed the MISSION Act into law in 2018, we have b... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), the Ranking Member and Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) and Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statements after the House unanimously passed S. 785, the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act – groundbreaking legislation to connect more veterans w... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the House passed six bipartisan bills to improve care, benefits, and services for our nation’s veterans: “Today, the House passed six bipartisan bills to better support the men and women who have served. These bills would ensure that veterans with prostate cancer receive world class care from VA, that disability benefit questionnaires are available on VA’s ... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the Committee reported five bills to the House floor, including a bipartisan, bicameral package to prevent veteran suicide: “I am grateful that the Committee could come together today to solidify the deal between me, Chairman Takano, and Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Tester of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to prevent veteran suicide by sending ... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement about the prospect for House passage of comprehensive veteran suicide prevention legislation this year: “I was encouraged last night by Senator Moran’s announcement that he and Chairman Takano had reached a deal to secure House passage of S. 785 in exchange for Senate movement on a number of House bills. I hope that is the case as it is unquestionably the right t... Read more

A Crisis We Cannot Ignore By: Dr. Phil Roe 9/3/2020 Long before COVID-19, America was grappling with another deadly affliction – veteran suicide. Every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, for two decades and counting, an average of 20 servicemembers and veterans die by suicide. That amounts to 140 lives lost every week, 7,280 lives lost every year, and 145,600 lives lost since 2000. Each one of those deaths is a tragedy and, recently, that tragedy hit close to home for those of us in East T... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer urging House consideration of S. 785, as amended, the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, this week. “Today, I join my friends in the Senate, in VA, and in the veteran service organization community in calling on the House to pass S. 785 when we reconve... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the Senate passed S.785, as amended, the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act: “I congratulate my friends, Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Tester, for shepherding the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act through the Senate today,” said Ranking Member Roe. “This important bill is the cul... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the Committee voted to report 12 bills to the House Floor. “Our Committee acted decisively today to honor the brave service of all veterans - including the millions of women veterans who represent the fastest growing segment of the military and veteran populations and Native American veterans who volunteer to serve at higher rates than any other group. By p... Read more

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, released the following statements after the amendment they offered to add the Improve Well-Being for Veterans Act to H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, was ruled out of order by the Rules Committee. “I am deeply disappointed tha... Read more