Beto O'Rourke

If it works in El Paso, let's make it work other places.

I hope that Organ Mountain doesn't follow the Organ Pipe National Monument example.

From the day that I was sworn into office, I have heard from the veterans that I have the honor of representing that while--when they can get into the VA to seek care--the care is great and the providers are wonderful, it is too hard to…

The Honorable Beto O'Rourke, a Representative in Congress From the State of Texas:

We must be better than that as a committee, as a Congress, and as a Nation.

Just to add to that there is also the related issue of how to pursue hardware acquisition programs that happen to have a very large software component to them.

trust breaks down when problems fall apart and problems fall apart a lot of the time because we didn't get the requirements clear upfront.

I think another step or an additional thing to keep in mind building on the admiral's comments is to try to close the loop on accountability...

Mr. Secretary, I want to thank you for your testimony so far today.

This is unconscionable.

Just a couple of points--one is the committee already and the Congress as a whole does have a mechanism in place to do that.

It's very hard to get direct answers from the local VHA and even through the administration...

El Paso veterans have desperate mental health care needs and those needs are going unheeded despite repeated attempts to communicate with the VISN 18 director.

And so many of us are concerned about a provider shortage and what it will take to attract and retain the best talent possible to serve the veterans that we represent.

So there's a penalty for going over but no reward for coming under.

We have a mental health care crisis and one that was confirmed by the VHA audit release last week...

And is there any--I want to make sure I'm using the right words; we don't use 'bonus'--but any incentive offered to a VHA director for returning money back to the VA or coming in annually under budget or not spending a certain amount or…

I think it is important, given what we now know about how people are bonused and how that leads to some unintended consequences.

What is missing in the VA is competition. Our veterans deserve the very best, let us not keep them in this institution that is not working.

It also shows you how serious the situation is and the attention that is been drawn to it.

Are VA Directors' bonuses based on staying under budget? Are there disincentives in place that keep them from sending veterans into the community for care?

From my conversations with the veterans in Maine, Project ARCH has been quite successful. Unfortunately the VA appears to be moving to close down this popular program.

I don't think that the mathematics of this are that complicated.

I think that is an incredibly important finding and recommendation that you made because, you know, until we have the facts and the best information, we are not going to be able to make the best authorizing and appropriating and oversight…

We still don't know what wait times are for veterans.