WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today voted to advance the FY2018 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, legislation to fund important military and veteran priorities. Following the subcommittee markup of the bill—the Senate’s first for the current fiscal year—Senator Capito issued the following statement:
“Keeping our promises to our veterans is a sacred trust we must always strive to achieve. The bill we advanced today seeks to keep those promises. By allocating resources to provide and improve care for the men and women who were willing to sacrifice for our freedoms, we recommit ourselves to ensuring their health and wellbeing are at the forefront of our nation’s priorities.
“I am proud to be a member of this subcommittee. As this bill is considered by the full committee, I will continue to advocate for programs and projects important to West Virginia veterans, as well as our VA hospitals in Huntington, Clarksburg and Martinsburg that serve them.
“This bill includes increased funding for the Office of Rural Health and provides critical resources to combat the opioid epidemic, which has disproportionately impacted veterans in our state. I’m particularly proud that this bill highlights the potential benefits of agritherapy and creates a pilot program to encourage its use across the country. We’ve already seen the benefits of this useful treatment in places such as Geezer Ridge Farm in Clay County, and this pilot program will help others across the country pursue similar results.
“I hope this bill advances quickly through the full committee and that Senate Democrats will allow us to consider it in the full Senate so we can honor the sacrifice and dedication of the men and women of our armed forces.”
The full Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up the FY2018 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill tomorrow, July 13, at 10:30 a.m. Live audio of the markup will be available here.
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