Elizabeth Dole has been a staunch advocate for our veterans, helping lead a movement to support and uplift them and the caregivers who work tirelessly to meet their needs. That passion came from her own life experience as the spouse of a disabled veteran, former Senator Bob Dole.

 Today, she continues this important work to elevate issues and enact solutions for our ill and injured former servicemembers as well as their loved ones. Her legendary status among this community continues to inspire while driving forward improvements to the policies that impact them.

 And she is certainly not alone in her concern. From the time I entered Congress, my mother – the wife of a retired Air Force Master Sergeant – would frequently ask me, “Are you taking care of the veterans?”

 That persistent question has helped remind me to work hard every day to live up to the sincere expectation of all those concerned about the welfare of the Americans who have worn our nation’s uniform.

 As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I continue to take that approach to the problems and opportunities that arise as we evaluate the benefits and services they have rightfully earned.

 I’m pleased that we are ending this Congress by approving a comprehensive veterans policy package that delivers needed reforms and strengthens support for them and their caregivers.

 The legislation, fittingly named the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, improves access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care and benefits, enhances programs for student veterans and their families, and provides increased oversight to ensure the VA is meeting its lawful obligations.

 It delivers on many of the priorities Veteran Service Organizations have long pushed to achieve and represents an important step forward to better serve the men and women who honorably served our country.

 This advancement to the quality and capacity of care the VA offers is good news, and I was honored to secure several specific provisions in this landmark bill.

 Measures I helped author to bolster recruitment and retention of VA clinicians, support training for current and future providers to ensure veterans receive the highest quality of care, and provide more oversight and transparency on its efforts addressing leadership vacancies were all included.

 Additionally, my latest push to confront the veteran suicide crisis was also incorporated into the larger package. This initiative – the Not Just a Number Act – requires the VA to examine veterans’ benefits usage in its annual suicide prevention report in order to evaluate the relationship between VA benefits and suicide outcomes, analyze which benefits have the greatest impact on preventing suicide, and issue recommendations for expansion of those benefits to further combat it.

We were also able to extend VA burial benefits eligibility to terminally ill veterans who pass away at a non-VA facility while receiving hospice care, as well as ensure training for VA employees on reporting waste, fraud and abuse in coordination with the VA Office of the Inspector General.

 These are all important and timely wins that should make us proud.

Our nation’s promise to those who have served does not apply only to Republicans or Democrats; it must be kept for each person who answered that calling. I am proud to continue that effort daily and join those enthusiastically welcoming these latest enhancements for the heroes we all deeply respect and admire.