On the recordApril 30, 2015
I am pleased that we are working through a bipartisan Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill that contains a lot of good measures, that keeps the VA under the magnifying glass, and helps guarantee topnotch care for our Nation's heroes, our veterans. Continuing to fix the issues at the VA needs to remain our top priority, but the solution is not throwing more money at it, Mr. Speaker. We spend more now on the VA than at any point in our history, but too much money is wasted on the bureaucracy here in Washington and doesn't get down to the caregivers and to our veterans who need the care. My constituents and veterans across the Nation are waiting months for routine exams, while others who need special care are stuck in backlogs. Mr. Speaker, it simply isn't fair, and it is not tolerable. Our veterans deserve the best, and we can deliver that by breaking up this bureaucracy in the VA. We should give our veterans the option to get health care at the VA if they choose, or to go to a private healthcare provider in their local community and have the VA pay for it. Until we move to that system, Mr. Speaker, the VA at the top is going to continue to soak up the money, and the veterans at the bottom are going to continue to not get the care that they deserve. I ask my colleagues to continue to work with me so that we provide the best health care in the world to our veterans, that we keep the promises we made. ____________________
