Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to offer this simple, nonpartisan amendment today. Like many of my colleagues here, I am determined to do whatever I can to ensure the best possible care for our veterans. And I can tell you that I see all the time just how important the services are in my hometown at the Long Beach Veterans Administration to veterans in my district. It is absolutely essential our veterans receive the quality of care that they have earned and that we owe them. I believe everyone here agrees on that. The question is: How can we ensure that our veterans receive the best quality care? One straightforward, but important way is to make sure that whistleblowers are adequately protected. When problems emerge, as they certainly will in any complicated system such as health care, it is vital that the VA employees feel that they can bring forward complaints and they will be properly considered without fear of retaliation. VA employees are key potential partners in making sure the system is responsive, honest, and efficient. And if they have any doubts or concerns about their whistleblower protections, then we lose the insights, their expertise, and the inside view that they bring to the VA's day-to-day operations. That would be bad for the veterans and bad for our VA system.…”