THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF WV CONGRESSMAN SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO.

WASHINGTON – Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) joined a group of her House colleagues this afternoon to unveil the American Families Agenda, a collection of legislative initiatives designed to address issues important to West Virginia families.

“This initiative lays down a marker on kitchen-table issues that are important to West Virginians,” said Capito. “With 13.6 million single parents in our country and a majority of households where both parents are working, we need legislative solutions that focus on our families. From promoting economic security, to working for more affordable healthcare, to expanding support for our military families and ensuring affordable education, this agenda puts families front and center.”

The American Families Agenda is the product of lengthy discussions between a group of Republican women in the House of Representatives and centers on five broad goals: (1) to promote financial stability for working families, (2) to offer healthcare solutions, (3) to protect American children, (4) to ensure access to quality education and (5) to support America’s military families.

Included in the broad package is legislation introduced by Capito to expand treatment options for rural veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI), many of whom must travel long-distances for specialized treatment at a select number of Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

TBI is often associated with improvised-explosive-device (IED) explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and under her proposal the Department of Veterans Affairs would pilot a partnership between local healthcare providers and VA-personnel to augment and support treatment efforts for geographically isolated veterans.

The current need for long-distance travel places a great deal of stress on veterans and their families and many have chosen to forego care rather than face the challenges of seeking treatment.

“It’s vitally important that we develop solutions that relieve the financial and personal stress placed on veterans and their families when it comes to treating TBI,” said Capito. “With TBI impacting nearly 20 percent of those injured in Iraq, rural veterans must have full access to care.”