Mike Michaud

VA's entrenched bureaucracy must be shaken up in order for any true reform--reform that is so desperately needed to better serve our veterans--to succeed.

I have an increasing worry that Secretary McDonald and you are getting bad advice from some of those around you within VA's bureaucracy.

I would encourage the secretary to quickly define detailed execution plans for these concepts and not get stuck in analysis and processes.

We need to feel that the Department of Veterans Affairs is taking the necessary action to move swiftly as possible and decisively as possible to get rid of those employees who failed the American veterans.

It is absolutely imperative that the OIG's independence and integrity in its investigations be preserved.

I realize that you have that many employees, but when you said that 'we discussed the report,' I am sure you didn't discuss that report with the 300,000 employees, so I was just trying to narrow down the 'we' that you were talking about.

I think we need to have a standardized system of healthcare that we can consistently provide quality healthcare to all of the veterans.

We have to partner with medical schools as we have already talked, we have to partner in the private sector, we have to partner with members of Congress.

If not you, who? If not us, who then? And if not now, when is this ever going happen?

I want every veteran in this country to say this is my VA and I am proud of it.

We must develop a well-defined idea on how the entire country, government, industry, nonprofits, foundations, communities, and individuals, will meet this obligation to our veterans.

VA needs to become a veteran-focused, customer service organization.

We need serious, deep, and broad reform, that kind of change that may be uncomfortable for some in VA, but so desperately needed by America's veterans.

I applaud Secretary McDonald for taking forceful action to begin to address the systematic failures demonstrated in Phoenix.

The bottom line is this behavior and the detrimental effect of veterans is simply not acceptable.

I do not need any more evidence or analysis that there is no doubt in my mind that veterans were harmed by the scheduling practices and culture at the Phoenix facility and across the Nation.

At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. Gibson, you stepped up to the plate at the most challenging moment in the VA's history.

More of the same isn't going to solve the underlying problems.

We need a business-minded approach to reform the agency.

The business model for producing, delivering and supporting the VA product is fundamentally broken.

I'm looking forward to discussing with him his vision for reforming the VA.

I think this is before all this blew up, that we need VA management as good as most of the clinicians and workers within VA and we don't have it.