July 28, 2014

Rep. Mark Takano Statement on the VA Conference Committee Deal

 
Washington, DC – Earlier today, Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Jeff Miller announced that an agreement had been reached to reform our VA system. 
 
The agreement would:
  • Allow veterans who face long wait times for appointments or who live more than 40 miles away from a VA facility to instead seek care with private doctors who take Medicare, community health centers, Indian Health Service and Department of Defense facilities.
  • Allow the immediate firing of high-level officials who are incompetent in their duties.
  • Provide for a more expedited hiring of new medical personnel at hospitals and clinics that lack enough doctors, nurses and other medical staff to provide quality care in a timely manner.
  • Allow the VA to lease 27 new medical facilities that would expand access to care.
  • Ensure that all recently separated veterans taking advantage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill receive in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
  • Expansion of Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship to surviving spouses of veterans who have died in the line of duty.
  • Improve access to health care for military sexual assault survivors.
 
After the agreement was announce, Veterans’ Affairs Conference Committee Member Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement:
 
“I’m pleased that a compromise has been reached by the Veterans’ Affairs Conference Committee to fix our VA system,” said Rep. Takano. “Finishing this legislation before the August break was crucial and I’m happy that the Conference Committee staffs worked through the weekend on the final details. Our veterans deserve the best possible health care and this legislation is a good step forward as it allows some veterans to receive care outside the VA system, increases accountability for incompetency, allows the VA to lease 27 new medical facilities and much more. Caring for our veterans is a cost of war and with this legislation, we can finally begin to give these heroes the treatment they deserve.”