That should do it: Murkowski helps veterans by renaming Alaska VA Clinic after Col. Mary Louise Rasmuson

By
Suzanne Downing
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36

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced two legislative efforts she says will support veterans and their families.

Sen. Murkowski introduced, with Sen. Dan Sullivan as a cosponsor, the Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System Act of 2022 to name the Alaska VA Clinic after the late Col. Mary Louise Rasmuson, the wife of the late banker Elmer Rasmuson and cofounder of the Rasmuson Foundation.

Mary Louise Rasmuson was a leader in the Women’s Army Corps who expanded opportunities for women serving in the military, including integrating women of African descent into the corps. 

“Sen. Murkowski also responded to Alaskan veteran’s concerns surrounding a lack of health long term care options for veterans by cosponsoring the Elizabeth Dole Home and Community Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act. This bill aims to delay the need to send veterans to long-term institutional care by expanding access to quality home and community-based programs and increasing coordination efforts,” the press release from Murkowski said.

“Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson is a well-known name in Alaska. She spent her life advocating for women in the military and expanding their opportunities within the service. Following her twenty-year military career, Mary Louise continued that same level of service as a civic leader and philanthropist for the betterment of our Alaska communities. It’s fitting that we not only honor her legacy of service, but also the growing number of female veterans she fought on behalf of throughout her distinguished career. I’ve worked hard to ensure female veterans have equity to their male counterparts and access to the benefits they’ve earned. This bill builds on those efforts to ensure their service is explicitly recognized and well-represented in Alaska,” Murkowski said. 

Sen. Murkowski also cosponsored the Elizabeth Dole Home and Community Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act. This bill aims to delay the need to send veterans to long-term institutional care by expanding access to quality home and community-based programs and increasing coordination efforts.

“I’m also proud to cosponsor the Elizabeth Dole Home and Community Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act. In Alaska, we are proud to have the highest rate of veterans per capita, which also includes a large population of aging and older veterans. This bill addresses a real need and expands access to care and community-based programs, making it easier for veterans to maintain their independence and get the care they need at home. Supporting all veterans remains one of my top priorities,” she said.

36 COMMENTS

  1. Princess Oath Breaker Lisa,
    Stop abusing, using ever actually, the word EQUITY.
    We American citizens want EQUALITY.
    Why not actually DO something for us vets, renaming a building, gag me.

  3. THIS IS A PATENTLY UNTRUE STATEMENT, LISA: “I’ve worked hard to ensure female veterans have equity to their male counterparts and access to the benefits they’ve earned.” Women veterans in Alaska do not have “equity” in the Alaska VA system. It is for this reason that many of us in Alaska who have earned access to VA medical services often go elsewhere (when we have the choice) or do without medical care (when we don’t).

    Both Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are well aware that women veterans, in general, are and continue to be underserved and/or served very poorly by the Alaska VA system, and more particularly at the Anchorage VA Clinic. Dan boasts about having arranged the hiring of the current Alaska VA administrator who, in my estimation, is the worst in decades.

    The Alaska VA system continues to be a huge disaster for many women veterans in our state. And Lisa knows this. So does Dan. Renaming that facility does nothing to improve the current conditions, reasonable medical service access, and appropriate service availability at the Anchorage VA Clinic.

    • The Rasmusons have the deepest pockets and easily the most philanthropist family in AK. They’ll ensure the campus takes care our vets

      • My neighborhood got carpet bomber with Tshibaka/Palin “patriot Freedom PAC leaflets this morning. I note the we have yet to seeNB3 support Toshiba’s at all, like he probably backs he opponents

  4. That and $4.50 will get you a cup of coffee Murky but not my vote next month. Getting a building renamed for an honorable veteran in your case is just trying to buy votes. As a retired Air Force member, it’s not buying my vote.

  6. Is this the same VA that denied me of my benefits because I had too much income after withdrawals from my IRA to live on? Maybe it’s not a gender thing, they are just useless for the average VET.

  7. I met Ms Rasmuson back in the day. An imposing presence. That said, the naming is not as important as either the Senator or her critics would suggest.

  8. So Lisa and Dan are only good for naming buildings and handing out recognitions to the politically connected, but not solving real problems facing Alaskans now…They’re not moving the needle…

  9. Lisa is LOSING. That’s why the attack ads and hoping she can get even more campaign contributions from the Rasmuson Foundation. Please help her campaign. I don’t want to go to work for a living. Please…….

    • Who are you kidding? You never worked. You live off of me, as does Lisa. Hope this is over on election night. Nancy and I really want to leave Petersburg. This place sucks.

      • I’m beginning to really hate Petersburg too. The people here are not friendly after all. Lisa stuck us here until her campaign is over, as if to get rid of us so her friends don’t have to constantly ask where we are. Well, we don’t have that many friends anymore, thanks to Democrat Lisa. This is not the way to live. Aging has been much quicker around Lisa. The royalty thing has worn off.

  12. Election year ploy. She doesn’t want to debate with Kelly. WHY NOT? Seems like anyone who has an reelection this year (Democrats or ones who voted with them) doesn’t want to debate. My main question is why? Are Biden’s policies that unpopular? I think so.

    • And why kelly in Texas instead of at the debate in Kodiak tonight. Lisa is there. Furthermore, why wasn’t big mike at the debate last night. Neither are Democrats.

  13. I don’t think that will change most common sense VA people. They will see it for what it is. Interesting she named it after a family that supports her strongly. Would have been better if they she had named after a conservative et. This is Natasha Von Imhof’s maybe grandmother. Seeing right through it, Lisa. Just a way to honor the Rasmuson family.

  14. Lisa does nothing. She hands out her Uncle Joe’s blood money then pats herself on the back for all the “hard work” she’s done. Now, she renames a building and we’re supposed to sit back in admiration? Nope, we have exorbitant fuel prices, inflation, and an ever encroaching totalitarian government while she does nothing. Lisa needs to go, or at least put a capital “D” behind her name.

  17. Why the sarcasm? Please allow me to introduce you to the SPJ Code of Ethics, where you will not find it listed as a tenet of the profession.

    • Thank you, Dog. I’m certain that this blog is quite a bit different from the mainstream media, but it’s not sarcasm. It’s a factual headline. – sd

    • Facts you don’t like are sarcastic?
      Be specific. Which ones?

      And which SPJ code of ethics are you referring to? There are several. I looked you several and none seemed remotely germane to this article.

      More: does The NY Times or even the Anchorage Daily follow the code in question? Can you site examples?

      But let’s assume you are referring to the journalists code of ethics. Did the NYT use this when they buried the Hunter Biden story? Does MSNBC use it when Joy Reid regularly calls for violence? Who about the Washington Post when they memory holed the attempt Justice Kavanaugh’s life? His and his family?

      I could go on and on, but it’s pointless. The willfully blind refuse to see.

    • Whidbey, if you had any ethics and decency at all, you wouldn’t be floating your brand of sophistry and deceipt. Why the sarcasm?
      .
      Have you donated to MRAK? Or is this a hobby?

  18. Renaming a clinic and putting them on food stamps while their brethren die in foreign wars, due to the vacuum of leadership in the three branches of government. Cool. ?
    So glad we expanded benefits to family members. ?

    Go down to the memorial wall downtown.
    I dare you. See how many of my kinfolk died for our freedom? Has it Always been the government VS. The people?

  20. I’m not sure why they think that renaming a building is going to help veterans. But it’s indicative of Lisa Murkowski’s past twisted priorities, such as renaming of Mt. McKinley to Denali, which was only to appease the previous Obama administration. How about helping Alaskans with the real challenging issues that they face? What has Lisa done to help our struggling dairy farmers in this state? We had a major one that recently went out of business here in the Mat-Su Valley under her watch.

Comments are closed.