Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today out of concern for the ongoing shortage of primary care physicians at Stockton VA Clinic in my district. There are nearly 30,000 veterans that live in San Joaquin County, but earlier this year the Stockton VA Clinic went from eight doctors to just four in the span of just a couple of months, a 50 percent reduction of full-time, in-person physicians. This is completely unacceptable. This is leading to a caseload of over 7,000 veterans for every doctor that we have. My constituents have been telling me that they have to wait more than 90 days to get an appointment. Men and women who risk their lives for our freedom deserve better than months-long wait times to see a doctor. As we consider the VA's budget this week, it is clear that we can do so much more to address the workforce shortages in my district and across the country at the VA. Our veterans deserve better. Primary care is an essential part of every veteran's medical care, and it is on us to make sure that that care is never in jeopardy. I will continue to fight for the funding to fully staff our clinics until we get that done. ____________________”