Elizabeth Dole Foundation Lauds Introduction of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, a Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity for Veterans, Caregivers, and Survivors
Media Contact: Jodi Sheedy
Elizabeth Dole Foundation
media@elizabethdolefoundation.org
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2026 — The Elizabeth Dole Foundation today lauds introduction of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, a landmark legislative package designed to strengthen financial security, health care access, and support services for the nation’s veterans, caregivers, survivors, and their families.
Introduced June 10, the legislation combines more than 60 bipartisan bills into a single, comprehensive measure spanning financial support, caregiver resources, survivor benefits, and health care access, among them the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act, the Love Lives On Act, the Veterans’ ACCESS Act, and the Major Richard Star Act.
Taken together, the legislation reaches across the full arc of military service—from caregivers balancing work and care, to the survivors of those lost in service, to veterans living with catastrophic injuries.
“This legislation is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stand with the veterans, caregivers, and survivors who have sacrificed so much for our country,” said Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. “The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act speaks directly to needs that have gone unmet for far too long. For more than 30 years, our surviving families, many of whom were caregivers, have waited for a meaningful increase in support, while our most catastrophically injured veterans and the caregivers devoted to them have absorbed costs they were never meant to bear alone. Many who left their jobs and sacrificed their income and retirement savings to care for a loved one will find relief in this bill. Having seen the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act signed into law and begin changing lives, I know what is possible when our nation comes together for those who served—and this package carries that same historic promise. Senator Dole's vision for what is possible for caregiving families in America is written into the heart of this bill, and as America approaches its 250th anniversary, we have the chance to honor the full and lasting price of service for veterans and families.”
Edgar Edmundson, whose son Eric – a former Army sergeant seriously injured by a roadside bomb attack in Iraq — has become one of the most powerful voices for veterans and their caregivers on Capitol Hill, said:
“When I look at my son today, at 45 years old, I see a man who gave everything he had in service to his country. He cannot speak for himself anymore—so I am here to speak for him. And I am asking you to work together now to find a mechanism to ensure that the time he has, and the time all severely injured veterans have, is filled with the care and support they earned.”
We recognize the complexity of this legislation, yet inaction carries a cost these families cannot afford. The Foundation looks forward to working with leaders in both parties to advance the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act and the priorities it represents.
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About the Elizabeth Dole Foundation
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation is the preeminent organization empowering, supporting, and honoring our nation’s 14.3 million military and veteran caregivers—the spouses, parents, siblings, family members, and friends who care for America’s wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans. Established by Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2012, the foundation works to empower military and veteran caregivers, their families, and their communities through programs, partnerships, and advocacy that drive innovative, impactful, and sustainable solutions. Visit elizabethdolefoundation.org for more information.