Lois Capps: “I thank my colleague from West Virginia for yielding me the time and for offering this motion to encourage conferees to…”

“I thank my colleague from West Virginia for yielding me the time and for offering this motion to encourage conferees to swiftly settle their differences on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congressman Rahall's motion to instruct conferees, so that our veterans are assured the care that they have earned. For far too long, we have heard stories of men and women facing unacceptable wait times at the VA, and we have heard even more disturbing accounts of misconduct in the very organization our veterans should be most able to trust. In response to this scandal, both Chambers of Congress have passed bipartisan bills to hold the VA and its leadership accountable. I was encouraged to see this body act quickly to address a very real problem and was pleased to support bipartisan legislation to help solve this crisis, but we cannot allow this momentum to fade or allow disagreement to stand in the way of our veterans getting the care they have earned and so clearly deserve. This motion to instruct simply urges the conferees to move past disagreements that are stalling this critical bill. It would ensure that the VA can use resources it already has to hire additional health professionals to meet the needs of our veterans. Doing this will enable the VA to cut down on excessive and unacceptable wait times. As a nurse, I know the importance of having adequate staffing levels filled with our Nation's best health care providers.…”