Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) voted today to confirm Denis McDonough as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
“Denis McDonough has extensive experience at the highest levels of the federal government that will serve him well as he works to support our nation’s veterans and their caregivers and surviving spouses, continues to innovate and advance the VA system, and prioritizes resources for veterans’ mental health. Nevada’s veterans have sacrificed so much, and they deserve our utmost support. I want to make sure they get access to health care and other services they need to thrive, and I look forward to working with Secretary McDonough to ensure that happens.”
Background:
Senator Cortez Masto has a strong record of supporting Nevada’s veterans throughout her time in the Senate. Last week, she introduced the Aid and Attendance Support Act to increase the amount paid to eligible disabled veterans by 25 percent in order to help with COVID-19 related expenses. Her Servicewomen’s Health Transition Training Act of 2019 to help women transitioning from active duty to civilian life learn about the VA services available to them and her Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act to create an intergovernmental task force to identify opportunities to expand access and usage of public lands for outdoor therapy and rehabilitation treatments were both passed into law last year. She’s also introduced the Know Your Vets Act of 2020 to connect military members separating from service with accredited Veteran Service Officers, including state, county, and Tribal resources, to assist with housing, health care, and job training opportunities. In addition, the Senator worked with the VA to ensure that Elko County finally received authorization from the federal government to build a veterans cemetery in the local community.
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