Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership on behalf of our true American heroes, and thank you for filing this bill. I also want to thank the ranking member. He does an outstanding job, as well, on behalf of our heroes. Mr. Speaker, as a proud original cosponsor, I rise in strong support for H.R. 4810, the Veteran Access to Care Act. In upholding our promise to our Nation's heroes, this legislation will provide necessary relief for thousands of veterans who have waited far too long within the VA health system. Many of these veterans are forced to wait months, even years. {time} 1245 This is beyond unacceptable and represents a disservice for their sacrifice and service. H.R. 4810 empowers the veterans with choice. It will address an immediate problem, allowing veterans to access non-VA care or stay within the VA system if they desire. Our colleagues in the Senate have introduced similar legislation, which includes, again, a very similar provision. Mr. Speaker, I hope that this needed solution to care for our veterans will move quickly and be presented before the President without delay. Long term, the VA's systemic failures that promote a culture of mediocrity and discourage transparency and accountability must be addressed. However, our first priority is to ensure veterans are receiving timely quality care, but we must also continue our oversight to root out this culture of corruption.…”