WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House passed two pieces of VA reform legislation. The VA Accountability Act of 2015 passed with a vote of 256 – 170. The Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 passed with a vote of 385 – 34. Chairman Miller released the following statement:
“I applaud my colleagues for stepping up today to address the troubling lack of accountability eroding VA’s ability to care for our veterans. The VA Accountability Act will provide the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs the ability to make real reforms and bring much needed accountability to the department. Today, we stand with our veterans because the status quo has failed them and the American people for far too long.
“Just over two weeks ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that because of its inability to budget, VA hospitals around the country would be shutting down in August. Today, the House passed the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 to ensure that does not happen. The bill is designed to rescue a mismanaged VA, providing the resources to keep the doors open, expanding access and choice to veterans and setting the stage to consolidate VA’s uncoordinated and wasteful non-VA care programs into the Veterans Choice Program.
“I urge the Senate to take up both these measures immediately. We cannot allow VA’s incompetence to continue to harm America’s veterans. And I sincerely ask President Obama to sign both in to law – to take the money without the accountability will only lead to continued failure.” – Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Related:
Chairman Miller’s Floor Statement on The VA Accountability Act of 2015
Chairman Miller’s Floor Statement on The Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015
“I applaud my colleagues for stepping up today to address the troubling lack of accountability eroding VA’s ability to care for our veterans. The VA Accountability Act will provide the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs the ability to make real reforms and bring much needed accountability to the department. Today, we stand with our veterans because the status quo has failed them and the American people for far too long.
“Just over two weeks ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that because of its inability to budget, VA hospitals around the country would be shutting down in August. Today, the House passed the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 to ensure that does not happen. The bill is designed to rescue a mismanaged VA, providing the resources to keep the doors open, expanding access and choice to veterans and setting the stage to consolidate VA’s uncoordinated and wasteful non-VA care programs into the Veterans Choice Program.
“I urge the Senate to take up both these measures immediately. We cannot allow VA’s incompetence to continue to harm America’s veterans. And I sincerely ask President Obama to sign both in to law – to take the money without the accountability will only lead to continued failure.” – Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Related:
Chairman Miller’s Floor Statement on The VA Accountability Act of 2015
Chairman Miller’s Floor Statement on The Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015
