CHICAGO — Democrats are hoping to wrestle veteran voters away from Republicans this year, and plan to highlight efforts to expand health care access in campaigns for some key seats.
Central to the party’s argument is the 2022 law expanding access to health care for veterans exposed to toxins while serving overseas. That legislation has led to a sharp increase in demand at the Department of Veterans Affairs, with over 412,000 new veterans enrolled over the past year. That high level of interest has even led to a VA budget shortfall that lawmakers will be scrambling to fill in September.
Two of the Democratic senators behind that effort, Montana’s Jon Tester and Pennsylvania’s Bob Casey, are featuring the law in campaign advertisements, and President Joe Biden called the law “one of the most significant laws ever” in his keynote address here Monday night.
