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Ranking Member Roe Statement on Health Care for Women Veterans

Recognizes National Women's Health Week, highlights new task force

Today, Ranking Member Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement in honor of National Women's Health Week: 

"Providing women with high-quality care has been one of my life’s missions, both as an OBGYN who delivered almost 5,000 babies over the course of my medical career and throughout my time as Chairman and now Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Every day, I strive to ensure that VA delivers on its promise to provide women veterans with the care they earned.

“I am glad that VA medical facilities are holding outreach events and open houses for women veterans this week to educate them on the many services that are available to them through VA. While women have served our country in various capacities since the Revolutionary War, they have not always received the recognition they deserve for their sacrifices. The number of women who use the VA healthcare system has tripled over the last 18 years and, as I personally witnessed on site visits across the country, many VA medical facilities have taken steps to be more welcoming to them. Still, women report unacceptable barriers to care within VA far too often.

“The urgent need to break down those barriers has not fallen on deaf ears. The Committee recently launched the bipartisan Women Veterans Task Force, which will work to highlight the contributions, experiences, and needs of women veterans. I join VA this week in thanking and honoring the approximately 2 million women veterans, including the many women veterans working in leadership roles at VA, who have stepped up to defend our grateful nation. I look forward to continuing to work to help them prosper.” 

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