Political Quotes

“I would like the right to proceed. I thank my good friend from North Carolina, Senator Tillis. He is always willing to work in a bipartisan way. I thank him very much. We have concerns about the VA and all of our veterans. He is in a State that has a tremendous population, and I am in a State with a tremendous population of veterans. I am disappointed there is an objection to my bill. I rise to speak to my frustration that the Asset and Infrastructure Review, or the so-called AIR Act, provision is being included in what is otherwise a very good package. I thank Chairman Isakson, Ranking Member Tester, and Senator Tillis for all their hard work on the overall MISSION Act. The MISSION Act is going to do so many good things. It is going to streamline how we provide non-VA care. It is finally expanding caregivers for veterans of all eras, and it will make it easier for the VA to hire high-quality providers. I am against adding the AIR, which is the Asset and Infrastructure Review Act, or I like to call it the VA BRAC. This bill could be detrimental to rural veterans. The AIR Act provision was supposedly added by House Republicans to the MISSION Act because the Senate insisted the caregivers bill be included. I am a proud cosponsor of the caregivers bill because it does not make sense to give a benefit to one era of veterans and not give it to them all. I thank my colleague Senator Murray for the year she has dedicated to the caregivers issue.…”