U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted today in favor of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007 (H.R.1538) which improves access to quality medical care for wounded service members at military facilities, cuts bureaucratic red tape and improves the transition of wounded service members from the Armed Forces to the Veterans Affairs system. This legislation passed the House today by a unanimous vote. On March 20, Larsen voted with all of his colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to approve this bipartisan legislation and send it to the floor for a vote.

“The bureaucratic treatment some service members have faced at Walter Reed and other facilities is simply unacceptable,” said Larsen. “This bipartisan legislation will help fix substandard conditions and cut red tape to make sure that everyone who serves this country gets the top-notch care they need when they need it.”

A recent investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs found more than 1,000 reports of substandard conditions as well as threats to patient safety at military hospitals and facilities across the country. According to the Pentagon, more than 24,000 service members have been wounded in Iraq since the beginning of the war. More than 10,500 of those men and women have been unable to return to duty.

Last week, the House took first steps to address the problems revealed at Walter Reed and other facilities by including in the Iraq Accountability Act (H.R.1591) an additional $1.7 billion for military health care. The Iraq Accountability Act also adds $1.7 billion more for veterans’ health care to ensure that those who serve our country get the care they need and deserve.

“The Wounded Warrior Assistance Act and the Iraq Accountability Act are critical steps. But there is more work to be done to honor our duty to those who serve our country, both on the battlefield and at home,” Larsen continued. “This is only the beginning of our work for a new direction.”

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