Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I've been concerned also, as my ranking member and as the chairman also of the committee, the gentleman from Texas, about the claims backlog that exists at the VA. Veterans of all generations deserve a benefits system that is easy to navigate and responsive to their needs. Currently, the VA is still experiencing a huge backlog in processing claims. As of May 2013, the VA claims totaled 843,000, with more than two-thirds that have been pending over 125 days. Currently, in my congressional district, we're working with over 205 veterans: 60 them are from Laredo, 30 of them from the valley, and 115 in San Antonio with outstanding claims with the VA that have been unresolved for 18 to 24 months, which is unacceptable and shameful. I am pleased that the chairman and the ranking member have worked in a bipartisan manner to make sure the Veterans Benefits Administration is able to support 20,851 claims processors. Additionally, the bill includes the necessary funding so that old claims filed on paper can be converted to digital files, making them more accessible and researchable. I also support the inclusion of the monthly reporting requirement of the claims backlog, so that way we can put performance measures also to make sure that we get rid of this backlog.…”