Joe Holleman | Post-Dispatch
Political correspondent/columnist
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield.
Putting her seat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee to good use, U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski has introduced more legislation aimed at veterans’ health.
Budzinski, a Democrat who represents a portion of the Metro East area, has co-sponsored a bill that would require the Veterans Administration to offer participants in a VA health scholarship program an employment contract within 90 days of completing their courses.
Budzinski said the proposal could reduce shortages of medical officers and nurses in the VA that lead to longer waiting times for both urgent and emergency care.Â
The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, an Arizona Republican.Â
Another bipartisan bill from Budzinski, introduced with U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-North Carolina, would require the VA to initiate contact with veterans with service-related mental health disabilities. It would oblige the VA to annually offer consultations on mental health needs and care options.
People are also reading…
In a sit-down with Herald & Review on April 7, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, emphasized the bipartisan nature of her work in the first 100 days of her congressional term.
