Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1860, the Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act, as amended, introduced by my colleague from Texas, Representative Sylvia Garcia.

Through VA's Breast and Gynecological Oncology System of Excellence, the VA oncology, surgical, and nursing specialists are already providing world-class care for these types of cancers directly through VA. The System of Excellence also helps connect veterans with care in the community when necessary.

A cancer diagnosis is always a difficult and complicated journey, and, unfortunately, all too common for veterans, in particular.

The VA's Breast and Gynecological Oncology System of Excellence is well positioned to handle the clinical aspects of coordinating veterans' cancer treatment, both at VA and its specialists in the community.

However, regardless of where individuals are receiving care, cancer treatment is often very complex and requires veterans to regularly see many different providers for various treatments, as well as different specialized labs and imaging centers.

Veterans may need assistance covering the expenses associated with traveling to receive care at another VA facility or in the community, obtaining medical records from community providers, ensuring that community providers' claims are paid on time, and accessing mental health services to help cope with the emotional aspects of their diagnoses.

This can be very difficult for patients to navigate, and our veterans deserve the highest levels of support throughout this time.

Representative Garcia's bill will strengthen the System of Excellence by requiring VA to appoint regional breast and gynecologic cancer care coordinators to assist veterans in navigating all of these aspects of their treatment. These trained professionals help ensure that patients can access resources available to them and that their providers are always updated on the patients' latest health updates.

Veterans deserve compassionate, well-coordinated care when dealing with their cancer journey, and I am glad to support this legislation to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1860, the Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act of 2025, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia), my good friend and author of H.R. 1860. She serves on the House Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1860, the Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act of 2025, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1860) to designate Regional Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Care Coordinators to expand the work of the Breast and Gynecologic Oncology System of Excellence at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1860, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1860, as amended, offered by Representative Sylvia Garcia of Texas.

This bill would create coordinators within each of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks to help veterans navigate cancer care. Specifically, this bill aims to improve care coordination for common cancers in women.

No person wants to hear that they have or that their loved one has cancer. Having the resources to navigate such a difficult time can make all the difference in the treatment journey.

VA must give women veterans who have to navigate cancer treatments the highest quality care that we can offer them. Whether it is screening, diagnosis, treatment, or recovery, our women veterans have earned top-notch support from VA every step of the way. More women veterans than ever before are using VA.

My friend, the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), recently hosted a hearing to discuss improving care for women veterans. This bill builds on our work to ensure this population of veterans has access to the modern care that they have earned.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1860, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers. I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding, along with subcommittee ranking member and the co-lead of this bill, Ms. Brownley, and Chairman Bost.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of my bill, the Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordinator Act of 2025. Women veterans are the fastest growing group using VA healthcare services today, and I am proud to say more of them call Texas home than any other State in the Nation.

As this population ages--keep in mind the average woman veteran is 54--they become more likely to develop cancers. The average age of women veterans diagnosed with breast cancer is 58, and the average age for reproductive cancers is 55.

For many of these veterans, the road ahead is not as clear as it should be. Many VA centers are still building out their services, so often women are connected with community care.

However, when they move outside the VA network, problems start to pile up. Records don't transfer and systems don't update with the latest data. That means more phone calls, more waiting, more back and forth, more frustrations.

Women veterans and their families could be using this energy and time on their treatment and their journey to recovery. A cancer diagnosis shakes your sense of stability. These women need a care system that works for them, not one that makes them fight to get the care that they need.

By connecting them with dedicated coordinators at VA to guide them on their path to remission, we can help these mothers, sisters, and heroes stay in the fight. We made a commitment to these women veterans. Now we must do everything in our power to keep that promise and to save their lives.

This is a commonsense bill. It passed out of committee on voice vote, and I trust the same will happen here. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.