Mark Takano: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I support this amendment because it provides an important clarification that…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I support this amendment because it provides an important clarification that veterans receiving physical therapy for a service- connected disability will be able to access no-cost childcare. When 50 percent of the veterans treated in VA facilities suffer from chronic pain, physical therapy is a vital part of their treatment that will reduce their need for prescribing opioids. We are in the midst of an opioid epidemic in this country, and many of our veterans, sadly, suffer from opioid addiction because they were prescribed these powerful drugs to treat pain. We should encourage other treatments like physical therapy, which can address the root cause of pain, and make it easier for them to access this care, which often requires multiple treatments over time. I thank the gentleman for this important amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”