Political Quotes

“I thank the ranking member for yielding, and I thank the chairman for introducing this bill. I chose to join the House Veterans' Affairs Committee even knowing the many challenges that have plagued the VA for decades because I want to do all I can to make sure our veterans receive the care they have earned and deserve for the sacrifices they have made for our great Nation. If the VA cannot see a veteran in a timely manner, then that veteran should be able to seek care outside of the VA. That is why I have cosponsored this bill and I intend to vote for it today. This bill will not fix everything, but it will absolutely help and it is an important step forward. However, for those of us who represent urban areas like southern California, we all know that 40 miles can take the better part of a day to traverse back and forth. That is why I believe that we must take into account not only the distance traveled, but also the amount of time that it takes for veterans to travel to the VA so that the intention of this bill reaches all of our veterans. As a consequence, I ask the chairman and the ranking member to work with me to improve this bill and include time traveled as a factor as the bill continues to move forward. I ask my colleagues to support this bill. I ask them to continue our work until we live up to the promise this country has made to our veterans and their families.”