Tim Walz

What we need to know, and what this Act does, is very simple. It simply clarifies that the VA has the capacity and the authority to do research into medicinal cannabis.

The VA has always been, since the early 1920s, this Nation's premier research institution.

Opening Statement of Walz, Hon. Tim

But at the expense of and to be very honest, why blend them together if it is not just to continue to move money out of there.

So, this idea that it is cheaper, it is quicker and it is better in the private sector, there is no data to support that.

But the understanding is if this money is cycled away, it drains off and will kill the VA as that institution.

I am. And I don't deny and I think there is validity in this because the issue is it is not the false choice of privatization versus VA itself; it is a hybrid model of this.

There is an ideological belief and it is my belief right now that is dominating, certainly coming out of the White House that the idea is that we can go totally to the private sector care, no need for the VA.

I want to be very clear that thanks to you and to this committee, fair and appropriate appropriations that let us try and tackle the things that we are obligated to do have been unprecedented.

Nobody in the veterans community is saying that. Nobody wants it.

Our job is to provide quality care that was promised and must be delivered to our veterans.

The appropriations have continued to increase for our warriors at a time of war.

You have served veterans well. You have always been there in a bipartisan way.

This place needs you. It needs the type of person that you are.

It is imperative that we discuss some critical issues, including the Choice Program, and the state of the VA's electronic health records.

We need to be very careful to establish accountability, which is something I know you share, accountability measures through the whole implementation process.

It is critical that our understanding from the budget agreement be upheld.

I want to hear--I am interested to hear the rationale behind this move, because it is my understanding that the law dictates that there be a separate account.

The best care they get is from the VA. It might be hard to get it. They might have to wait a while, but they get excellent care at the VA.

I don't think you will get your money's worth.

I think when you look at this right now, it is pretty hard to argue.

If the gentleman has no further speakers, I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Long Island--he clearly understands this issue--for his passionate work on this, and we are grateful for it. I, too…

In order to deliver on promises that we have made to veterans in regard to accessibility and quality of care, we must ensure VA has every resource necessary to the development of this new system.

We continue to exercise one of our most important functions, oversight.

I want to know and praise the dedicated workers and providers who did ensure that no patients were harmed despite incompetent leadership and supply chain failures at the hospital.