On the recordJune 6, 2017
Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act--bipartisan legislation that will help ensure that our veterans receive the care they deserve. We owe our veterans more than we can ever repay for their dedicated service. Part of this debt is providing our veterans with timely, high- quality healthcare. In my home State of North Dakota, our VA medical center is located in Fargo. It not only serves the veterans in North Dakota, but it also serves the western half of Minnesota as well. If there is one thing that our veterans have made very clear about the health center in Fargo--from both North Dakota and Minnesota--our veterans have made clear that it is an outstanding healthcare center that provides high- quality service. Our veterans love the Fargo VA. They do a great job. It is important to note that the vast majority of VA employees are dedicated to serving our veterans and are working diligently to provide services to veterans in their communities. However, as recent events have shown, there are a number of instances where poor performance or misconduct by a VA employee has had tragic consequences. In cases like these, the VA needs to have the ability to address these situations and to do it in a fair but expeditious manner. This bipartisan legislation will provide the VA Secretary with the necessary tools to do just that and ensure that VA employees are putting our veterans first.…





