Rep. Harris Issues Statement in Support of VA Reform Bills

WASHINGTON, DC: On May 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passed several VA reform bills, including but not limited to: H.R. 4451, the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act; H.R. 4958, the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act; and H.R. 3832, the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement lauding the passage of these bills:

"Today, the House of Representatives passed a comprehensive package of Veterans Affairs reforms. Among these reforms, the House reauthorized critical assistance programs for homeless veterans and authorized a long overdue cost-of-living-adjustment for service-disabled veterans.

To address our nation's ongoing opioid epidemic, the House passed H.R. 3832, the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act. This legislation will improve information-sharing between the VA and state-based prescription drug monitoring programs, thus improving oversight of opioid prescriptions for veterans and minimizing veterans' risk of opioid dependence.

As a veteran myself, I am proud to support the bills passed by the House tonight. These reforms will help the VA run more efficiently and improve health outcomes for veterans."

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