Elijah Cummings: “Mr. Chairman, today we have the opportunity to pass a bipartisan piece of legislation that will assist in correcting…”

“Mr. Chairman, today we have the opportunity to pass a bipartisan piece of legislation that will assist in correcting many of the wrongs that are rampant throughout our armed services health care system, as most recently illustrated in the reports and investigations surrounding Walter Reed. I am pleased to join my colleagues in supporting this very vital piece of legislation that is an initial step, and I emphasize that, initial step in tearing down the bureaucratic red tape that can hold wounded service men and women in limbo for months and even years after they return home with injuries from the battlefield. H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, ensures better access to health care, better conditions in outpatient and inpatient treatment, a better means to report substandard conditions and, finally, better oversight.”