Risch, Moran, Schatz, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand VA Services to U.S. Veterans Residing in Freely Associated States

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to introduce legislation to expand Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits to U.S. veterans who reside in the Freely Associated States (FAS) of Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. They were joined by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).

The Caring for Veterans and Strengthening National Security Act would require VA to provide telehealth services, mail-order pharmacy benefits and beneficiary travel reimbursements to U.S. veterans in the FAS within one year of enactment. Citizens of the FAS enlist in the U.S. military at some of the highest enlistment rates per capita. In exchange for exclusive military basing rights, the U.S. provides the military defense of these countries as part of a decades-long compact agreement. Implementation of these services by VA relates critically to U.S. national interests with respect to global security, the All-Volunteer Force and veteran success after service.

"Veterans from Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia who have bravely served our country deserve the best care that we can give them," said Sen. Risch. "The Caring for Veterans and Strengthening National Security Act ensures that these veterans receive care that honors their service and our unique relationships with the Freely Associated States. I'm grateful to Senator Moran for spearheading this important legislation."

"We have a commitment to support and care for those who have served our nation," said Sen. Moran. "This legislation confirms our commitment to helping veterans succeed after their military service is over and bolsters our longstanding and unique relationships with these three important countries in the Pacific. I thank my colleagues for supporting this legislation that would improve services for our nation's veterans and support our collective national security interests abroad."

"U.S. veterans in the FAS deserve the same care as all other servicemembers, without having to navigate complex, costly barriers or travel long distances just to see a doctor or get medication," said Sen. Schatz. "This bill ensures servicemembers can finally access the care they deserve."

"This summer, I visited with veterans living in the Freely Associated States," said Sen. Wicker. "They described their inability to access the travel and health care benefits that veterans in the United States receive. This legislation would resolve that problem. At the same time, it would strengthen our relationship with these vital Pacific partners as the region grows increasingly dangerous."

"Veterans who served our country must receive the care and benefits they were promised and earned," said Sen. Blumenthal. "Continuing this longstanding arrangement for COFA veterans is critical to our national security. Now more than ever, we need to ensure the US delivers on its commitments to these countries who we rely on for forward basing in the IndoPacific."

"We have a duty to fulfill the promises made to those who have sacrificed for our country including veterans in the Marshall Islands and their FAS peers," said Sen. Boozman. "I'm pleased to join this bipartisan initiative to ensure access to earned benefits isn't constrained by where a veteran calls home. Providing telehealth, medication delivery flexibility and travel reimbursement will honor our compact and maintain strong ties that serve our shared interests."

"COFA citizens who served in our military deserve access to the same health care services and benefits as any other American veteran," said Sen. Hirono. "That's why we secured language in the renegotiated Compacts of Free Association to enable VA to provide care to COFA veterans without them having to travel out of country. I am proud to introduce this common-sense legislation to ensure VA makes good on its obligation to COFA veterans and maintain our strong partnership with the Freely Associated States and their citizens."

"Ensuring that all veterans have access to the benefits they have earned is simply the right thing to do," said Sen. Heinrich. "Veterans from the Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia answered the call and served their country. We owe it to these men and women to honor their sacrifice and care for them when they come home - wherever they choose to live. This legislation is a meaningful step toward keeping our nation's promise to take care of veterans, while also bolstering national security interests abroad."

Full text of the legislation can be found here and below:

"I strongly support this bipartisan legislation to extend VA health care to veterans in the Freely Associated States," said Kalani R. Kaneko, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Marshall Islands. "This is not a political issue, it is personal and rooted in shared sacrifice. As a retired U.S. Army veteran, I recruited nearly 200 Marshallese men and women who served under the U.S. flag and earned these benefits. Allowing veterans to receive care at home strengthens families, stabilizes communities, and advances shared national security interests by reducing forced Marshallese out-migration driven by lack of access to care, while reinforcing the enduring defense partnership between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This legislation honors the service of Marshallese and American veterans alike and is a win-win for both nations."

"FSM is proud to have some of the highest enlistment rates of our citizens who have volunteered to serve in the U.S. military," said Jackson Soram, Ambassador of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United States. "However, veterans who return home to the FSM after serving have faced significant cost and access barriers to care through the existing Foreign Medical Program. The Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024 removed statutory barriers for veterans to access their earned VA healthcare benefits. We appreciate the strong bipartisan leadership of Senators Moran, Schatz, Wicker, Hirono, Boozman, Blumenthal, Risch, Heinrich, Murkowski, and Shaheen on the Caring for Veterans and Strengthening National Security Act, which will direct the VA to provide certain necessary healthcare services, including telehealth, mail order pharmacy benefits, and beneficiary travel consistent with the congressional intent of the provisions of the COFA Amendments Act of 2024."

"A top U.S. military commander called Palau "part of the homeland." We effectively are in a Texas-sized area next to Asia," said Hersey Kyota, Ambassador of Palau to the United States, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the United States. "One reason is that we let the U.S. military base radars, missile tests, a runway, and a dock. More importantly, though, it recruits our young. Most can't come home after their service, however, because they can't get the VA healthcare to which they're entitled. That devalues their service, deprives Palau of their skills, and deprives the U.S. of compelling citizen ambassadors. President Whipps and his team have worked to have this inequity corrected, and last year's bipartisan U.S. law to strengthen the free association that binds our nations almost as one was intended to do that. This new bill would. Palau greatly appreciates it."

In 2024, the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act gave VA the authority to provide medical services and beneficiary travel benefits to U.S. veterans residing in the FAS. To date, VA has not exercised this authority.

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