Julia Brownley: “I thank the gentleman from Minnesota, our ranking member; and the gentleman from Tennessee, the chair, for their…”

“I thank the gentleman from Minnesota, our ranking member; and the gentleman from Tennessee, the chair, for their commitment to bipartisan solutions which helped get us the agreement that the House is considering today. I am extremely proud to work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee because we have shown that we can tackle the big issues in a bipartisan way. That is why I rise today in support of S. 114, which will address the immediate shortfall in funding for the Choice Program, while making needed investments in direct VA-provided care. I am so pleased that this bipartisan agreement includes my legislation authorizing 28 new VA healthcare facilities across the country. This bill will bring more care closer to home for veterans from coast to coast. The demand for VA healthcare is increasing, and many veterans face long wait times because outdated facilities are too small to accommodate the growing number of men and women seeking care. The leases authorized by this bill are located in 17 States, with nearly 12 million veterans living in them, who have been waiting years for improved access to care. This includes a new, larger clinic in the city of Oxnard, in my district, which will bring much-needed specialty care closer to home for our veterans in Ventura County.…”