John Rutherford: “I thank the chairman for this opportunity, and I thank Ranking Member Walz for such bipartisan support and work on this…”

“I thank the chairman for this opportunity, and I thank Ranking Member Walz for such bipartisan support and work on this bill. I am very proud to serve on this committee because of the kind of work that goes on here under the leadership of Chairman Roe. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor this bill. I can tell you, since coming to Congress, I have had the distinct honor of serving with Dr. Roe, our chairman, and colleagues on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and during this time, we on the committee have heard from veterans services organizations, from the Veterans Administration, and from veterans themselves about the challenges in the VA healthcare system. We have learned about the barriers to timely care, the troubling provider shortage, also the lack of prompt payment to our community providers, and so many other issues. I am proud to say that I believe this is, in the words of 38 VSOs who wrote in strong support of this legislation, truly a ``historic opportunity to improve the lives of veterans, their families, and their caregivers.'' That is one reason I am very proud to be on this committee. I think this is a historic move. It is our duty as legislators and as Americans to ensure that our veterans receive the best care possible.…”