Tim Huelskamp: “I thank the chairman for his work on this bill. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I want to take a moment…”

“I thank the chairman for his work on this bill. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I want to take a moment to share a little about what this bill means for my Kansas veterans. Since coming to Congress, I have heard dozens of stories from Kansas veterans about their troubles with the VA. They have shared about how they are required to travel hundreds of miles for simple medical tests or to renew their prescriptions, all the while, driving past dozens of local hospitals and other health care providers with the ability and desire to meet their needs locally. Many Kansas veterans drive halfway across the State or to Colorado, Nebraska, or even Texas to get their simplest health care needs met. In fact, just yesterday, my office had to step in to help a 94-year- old World War II veteran. The nearest VA hospital was 240 miles away. He just had a recent serious surgery, and they said, you have to come into the hospital to renew your prescriptions. {time} 1545 Thankfully, I was able to contact the VA and ensure this veteran could get his care in his local community, but as I tell folks in Kansas, you shouldn't have to call your Congressman to get the care you deserve. With this bill, hundreds of rural Kansas veterans will be able to use their new veteran choice card or Project ARCH, call their local doctor, and get their health care needs met.…”