Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today, more than 2 years after we were all shocked by the news that Phoenix veterans had died waiting for appointments at their local VA. Yet, after all this time, little has changed.

Every week veterans contact my office seeking help to get the care that they need, like the veteran who couldn't access urgent care and was afraid he would be billed if he went to the hospital for help, or the veteran who got cancer from atomic testing but had to jump through all kinds of hoops to prove it.

Is this how a grateful nation should treat its veterans? Absolutely not.

The best way we show our gratitude to those who have served is to get them the care that they have earned. When a veteran contacts the VA, they should have the red carpet rolled out for them, period; but, instead, these stories are repeated over and over and over in communities all across the country: The VA won't listen; the VA doesn't return calls; we can't see a doctor.

There is a disconnect between the service of our military and the service they receive when they return home.
Mr. Moulton of Massachusetts and I introduced the Faster Care for Veterans Act to leverage technology to cut
back on wait times. Our veterans should have the same options that people have in doctors' offices across the country. They should be able to use an app, go online to schedule; or if they want to call, they can do that, too.

The point is the technology to make it easier to self-schedule already exists. Why not provide it to our veterans?

With this bill, we are demonstrating to the VA that innovative technology can work. It can get our veterans the care that they have earned more quickly without all the red tape.

But wait times are just the tip of this bureaucratic iceberg. The terrible stories this past week of HIV exposure and a veteran dying with maggots in his wounds are graphic reminders to all of us that the VA has lost sight of its sole mission: serving veterans.

Veterans should be in control of all aspects of their health care. That is not what is happening right now. After all the years, all the money, no more excuses. It is time for a deeper look into rethinking this outdated government bureaucracy.

Mr. Speaker, I never again want to hear a war hero cry because of how the VA has treated him. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting the Faster Care for Veterans Act.

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