Sen. Carper Supports Improving Veterans Access to Health Care, Urges Further Reforms

Statement

Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a veteran, released the following statement after the Senate voted 93 to 3 to pass The Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).

"Fixing the problems at the VA isn't a partisan issue. It's a shared responsibility between Congress, the administration, and the VA's leadership. Today, the Senate took an important first step by passing a bill that increases accountability at the VA and improves services for veterans who rely on the high-quality VA health care every veteran deserves. This legislation is not a cure-all for the long-standing issues of access to care, but it is a good start.

"As investigations into the VA's scheduling practices continue, Congress should continue to gather the facts and look for ways to enact additional reforms. We need to ensure that the VA has the tools and resources they need to meet the increased demands of both an aging veteran population and the veterans who have recently returned home after more than a decade of war.

"Today's overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in the Senate is a sign to our country and our veterans that this issue is a priority for Congress. I commend Senator Sanders and Senator McCain for working to craft this bipartisan compromise. We now need a bicameral compromise, and I'm urging House and Senate leaders to get that done quickly in order to send a bill to the president's desk as soon as possible."

I often say that, "Everything I do, I know I can do better,' and the same is true here. We need to do better because our veterans deserve better."

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