The Public Record
Dan Benishek is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, serving Michigan's 1st congressional district from 2011 to 2015. A physician by profession, he focused on healthcare issues during his time in office, advocating for reforms and policies aimed at improving access to medical care. Benishek was known for his commitment to veterans' affairs and worked on legislation to support veterans' healthcare and benefits. He was elected to Congress in the 2010 midterm elections, part of the larger Republican wave that year, and served one term before being defeated in the 2014 election.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of S. 23, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act. As you know, this bill, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 19, 2013, is…
I cannot state enough how critical it is for VA to take responsibility for gaps in care and, more importantly, to take immediate and definitive steps to address them.
The goal of this legislation is to create a culture of accountability within VA, a culture where problems are identified and immediately corrected.
I was so alarmed by VA's decades long lack of action that I quickly introduced H.R. 2072, the Demanding Accountability for Veterans Act.
I do not mean to say that everything is bad. But the purpose of today was for me to get a follow up on what, is happening.
Unfortunately, I have seen little concrete evidence in the past year that the department is doing either.
The IG over the last 30 years has eight times said that there should be a centralized plan for physician staffing.
that said that you would put VA up against the private sector anytime, that is a complete fabrication of what actually occurs at the VA.
So then what specific actions were taken immediately upon your being aware of these?
During the hearing on February 26, 2014, you stated that only one death resulted from the legionella outbreak at VAPHS.
VHA recognizes the significance of the tragic events that occurred in Atlanta and has taken action there to improve mental health services for Veterans.
I just don't like the fact that we are waiting for this to happen and it never happens.
I am grateful for Ms. Brownley's hard work and leadership on our subcommittee over the last year.
Well, maybe at the end of March you can update the committee on where you are at.
I was so pleased by the atmosphere there. There were guys that had actually been through the problems helping other veterans.
I am Dr. Dan Benishek, a congressman from Michigan's 1st District, the northern half of Michigan.
It is clear from my visit yesterday and from the testimony we are going to hear this morning that there are some very exciting things going on here in Southern California for our veterans.
I hope that the VA staff here today will listen to the comments of the first panel and incorporate a lot of their ideas going forward.
I think the gist of it was, frankly, there doesn't seem to be enough care locally.
Veterans are fortunate to have access to a health care system designed to treat their wounds.
Is there any reason why you couldn't just do it? I mean, apparently there was somebody at one time, and now they are not there. So why can't we just commit to making that happen?
Politicians like Dan Benishek
