Ted Yoho: “Today I will reintroduce the WINGMAN Act, a vital veterans' bill that will expedite the claims process for veterans who…”

“Today I will reintroduce the WINGMAN Act, a vital veterans' bill that will expedite the claims process for veterans who come to our congressional offices seeking assistance with their benefit claims. The current process leaves thousands of veterans and their families remaining in limbo awaiting resolution on their claims. The status quo is unacceptable, and it must change. No servicemember should have to wait to receive benefits they have more than earned. This ends with the passage of the WINGMAN Act, which removes the middle man and allows staff to access these records directly, after obtaining a privacy release form without having to wait on the VA bureaucracy. I think if we just listen, this is about customer service. Yes, they are constituents, but they are also customers. Every Member of this Congress--all 535 Members--represents approximately 700,000 constituents, and I like to think that we are in the customer service business as is the VA, the Veterans Administration. If we can't service our customers, where else can they go? Last Congress, WINGMAN passed this House unanimously. It passed the Veterans' Affairs Committee unanimously, but it was held up by one Senator who thought he know more than the 435 Members of this body and that he knew more than the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Fortunately, that Senator from Nevada is no longer here, and we are resubmitting this.…”