VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I do support this amendment. It does require a report on DOD physicians who are part-time VA employees, and it is important to have an accurate accounting of how DOD clinicians are practicing at the VA on a part-time basis and how they are recruited.
So I want to thank Representative Lujan for bringing this valuable piece of legislation to the floor.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) for bringing this piece of legislation to the floor. It is something that we already have passed, but putting it in a couple of different places probably doesn't hurt, so I would urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. O'Rourke, a valued member of our committee, and Ms. Stefanik for bringing this timely piece of legislation to the floor in amendment form. I think it is very important.
As the VA tries to recruit new physicians to fill the 40,000-plus openings that they may have at any one time, it is important to be able to get the younger folks that are coming in so that they can be a part of the VA system and helping our veterans.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Again, Mr. O'Rourke has brought an outstanding addition to this important piece of legislation. It is critical for continuity and the provision of safe, quality health care to our veterans to allow them to be able to communicate back and forth without any impediments, so I appreciate Mr. O'Rourke's hard work and, again, bringing this amendment to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Again, Mr. O'Rourke has brought another good piece of legislation to the floor. In fact, this has previously passed the House in the 113th Congress. I think that veterans' voices must be heard, and we also must be careful how the questions are asked. We know how any survey or poll can be manipulated. It is very important that this is a trusted survey. I would urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, this is an important piece of legislation to many. It would give the ability for those who have served in the National Guard or Reserve for 20 years selflessly to be able to call themselves a veteran. It has already passed the House, as my colleague has already brought to our attention, back in February.
Representative Walz is steadfast in his support of the National Guard and Reserve and all those who have worn the uniform of this Nation. I think it is very fitting that it be a part of this legislation today. I urge its passage.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, this is another valuable piece of legislation brought to us by our friend, Mr. Walz. Disabled veterans do, in fact, need access to adaptive equipment, including recreational sports equipment. I think that this is a very commonsense amendment. I support it. I urge my colleagues to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I offer an amendment as the designee of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I offer this amendment, which is similar to a provision that was previously passed in the House in the 113th Congress. It improves transparency and provides important information about each regional office's accuracy and productivity.
I think that each regional office is required to submit a report whenever it fails to meet its goal of processing claims within 125 days and with 98 percent accuracy. Those are numbers that VA has set forth. I think that it is very important that we keep a timely track on this and not allow the backlogs to continue for an inordinate period of time.
I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Miller of Florida) having assumed the chair, Mr. Rothfus, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5620) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the removal or demotion of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on performance or misconduct, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.
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