Pete Aguilar: “I thank the ranking member for his leadership, and I thank the chairman for his important work in this Congress and in…”

“I thank the ranking member for his leadership, and I thank the chairman for his important work in this Congress and in this committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1226, the Wounded Warrior Access Act, for the same reasons my colleagues had mentioned. When a veteran files their claim for benefits, they are given the C- file. For a veteran to view this C-file, they must either make an appointment at their local VA office, travel there to view it in person, submit a form through the mail or fax with no confirmation that it was ever received, or submit a Freedom of Information Act request for their file. Throughout my time in Congress--I know I am not the only Member who has heard from a number of veterans who have had trouble accessing their C-files from the VA. Just to put this in context, Mr. Speaker, our veterans need these files to access the benefits that they have earned or appeal the VA's decisions about their claim. That is why, Mr. Speaker, this is so important. Veterans in the Inland Empire and across this country need an easy way to access this information without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. This bipartisan bill is a commonsense solution that cuts this red tape and will help American veterans. I again thank Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, and members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1226.”