Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, much like the VA, the Department of Defense is confronting significant challenges regarding its care and transition of wounded warriors.

In fact, following the recent death of two individuals at the Army's Fort Bragg hospital, the Secretary of Defense ordered his own comprehensive review of DOD health care. Simply, it is obvious and is becoming increasingly more obvious that wounded warriors are still failing to receive the care that they need and that they clearly deserve.

We know that the DOD has undertaken countless studies and has appointed numerous working groups to identify ways to improve wounded warrior care. Moreover, Congress has rightfully engaged and has held a multitude of hearings and initiatives. There has been a lot of review internally and a lot of conversation.

I believe, though, that we need to engage some of the brightest minds in our country to gain a new and objective perspective on improving care for wounded warriors.

So this amendment appropriates $20 million to fund an amendment that, again, was passed in the FY15 NDAA to provide for an outside, independent study to identify challenges confronting the DOD's care of wounded warriors and offer specific recommendations to improve that.

This study, passed in the NDAA, will only be awarded to an entity that has received a small percentage--at the very most--of its revenue from contracts with the DOD, essentially an outside organization with little or no contact or relationship with the DOD or the VA. We are really trying to get a fresh set of eyes on this question.

This study of the Department of Defense's health care for wounded warriors is almost identical to the independent study of the VA, mandated by H.R. 4810, Chairman Miller's Veteran Access to Care Act, which just passed the House last week; so the same set of fresh eyes that will be looking at VA care, I believe, need to be focused on the Department of Defense care as well.

This amendment is funded by allocating $20 million from the Navy's $14 billion aircraft procurement account, which includes nearly $1 billion in funding over the Navy's request to purchase 12 EA-18G Growler aircraft.

The Navy requested none of these aircraft in its budget request, and it would seem to me that, out of the $14 billion in that procurement, with nearly $1 billion in new money for something that wasn't requested, we could find $20 million to make sure that the billions of dollars that we are spending in DOD health care--particularly for our wounded warriors--is spent in the most efficient way and provides the absolute best care in the timeliest fashion available.

That is what this amendment would do. I urge its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. KILDEE. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their comments.

I will say that, when I speak of a set of fresh eyes--I understand the studies that have been done by the GAO and other internal studies, and I will acknowledge a certain irony in making the comment because it is so often that we hear that we can't be continually looking for answers to these difficult questions only from those of us in government, that we ought to be taking a look at it from a fresh set of eyes that come from outside, from the private sector. I think that that would be a great advantage in this case.

Regarding the offset, I understand and wholly support all of the work that we need to do and the investments that we need to make to ensure that our military is fully capable.

I just believe that the same commitment that we have to our own protection ought to extend to protecting those who put on the uniform of the country and suffer as a result. They ought to get the best care.

Out of the $970 million increase from what was requested, it would seem to me that finding $20 million from that would not be a bridge too far.

I appreciate the comments, and I hope that we can work together on finding solutions on this.

I think Chairman Miller was right in his approach with the VA, and I think the same could be said for the DOD, and that is what my amendment would do.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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