Louise Slaughter: “I oppose this rule. This bill critically underfunds veterans health care, affecting the lives of more than 26 million…”

“I oppose this rule. This bill critically underfunds veterans health care, affecting the lives of more than 26 million veterans in our country and 75,000 veterans in my State of Connecticut. For over 200 years our veterans have made sacrifices for our country. Some of them continue their sacrifices after they come home. They may require continued care, rehabilitation, help with job training, college, promises that were made to them when they volunteered to serve. Shamefully, we are going back on those promises now. This bill breaks the promise by the House Republican leadership to veterans by providing $2 billion less than the budget resolution. The administration recognized the shortfall in their budget request, but claimed that they made up much of the difference implementing so-called, quote, management efficiencies by outsourcing a large portion of the medical care workforce. Outsourcing medical care will in all likelihood mean inadequate care for many of the 2.3 million veterans currently receiving benefits for service-related disabilities. It could mean longer lines for the more than 134,000 sick and disabled veterans who have already been waiting more than 6 months to simply get an appointment at veterans hospitals. In my State, almost 2,000 veterans will be frozen out of VA enrollment entirely.”