Items that have to be addressed. Obviously, we must pave the way for the va to use nonva care to expand veteran access and clear the current backlog. But we cant just fix the problem by simply throwing more money at it. The va has had more medical care funding than it could spend during each of the last four fiscal years. To include 1. 4 billion as recently as 2010 and was set to carry over 450 million this year before dipping into those funds for the current accelerated access to care initiative. This is led to multiple testimonies by both va and nonva witnesses who have noted that the Biggest Issue is not a lack of funding but a welcome of accountability. For this reason, the legislation that we mold must hold individuals accountable who fail to meet performance standards and oversee mismanagement and neglect. The perverse incentives that led to the manipulation of scheduling data and secret lists must be eliminated. Any incentives Going Forward must have an impact on improving patie
That is what it is for. I dont know what the senators schedule is, but we will have to see. It is unilateral. How when there is only one this not bew can considered unilateral . You will have to ask the democrats why they did not come. I heard all sorts of rhetoric that this was a take it or leave , that we had not been negotiating in good faith. Comee wanted to do was together in public, make the offer, and leave. Just did. At we that is all that would have happened had the democrats not come. How much are you offsetting . We will find the offset through the appropriations process the next year. The first year there is no offset. It is 10 million immediately. Undert year we compete the spending caps . Spending caps are still in place. Withw did you negotiate senator sanders . It has been wonderful. Senator sanders is a good friend. We want the same outcome, Quality Health care delivers in a timely fashion to our veterans. He has a believe we can do it a different way. He has a belief
Angry tweets. Despite bipartisan agreement, Congress Must act quickly to help end significant wait times at the ct of patients Veterans Affairs hospitals. Lawmakers reached a impasse that threatens to derail the deal days before the august recess. She continues talks so seriously deteriorateed that senators are trading jabs in florida speeches. Aides shooting off accusatory tweets and emails and lawmakers thursday refused to show up at the negotiating table. Thats a reference to a meeting called by house Veterans Affairs Committee Chair representative jeff miller. That meeting lasted a half hour. Thank everybody for being here. We have a hearing thats actually going on right now in the house, some of our members will be shuttling in and out. I appreciate the opportunity to the purpose of this is not to make fiveminute speeches. The purpose of this is for us to present an offer to the to senator sandersment im sorry hes unable to be here today but i certainly understand his reasons. Wit
16,500, 12,000 nurses and pas. The figure is out to 287 unique visitors per provider per year. Think about that. Double it. Say its 500. The average private care physician this country sees, five times that. So when i hear that we need more providers and more money, i just go nuts. Because what we need is exactly what you said, representative coffman, we need leadership. And we need what the Ranking Member from the house said. We need the ability to control those that manage. And if you dont fix the real problems, youll be back here again and the commitment to our veterans will be wasted, and the most important thing is we will have wasted an opportunity to actually make a difference in their lives, which is our commitment to them. So i look forward to working im involved. I issued a report today, and mr. Chairman, i would like a copy of that report to be placed as part of the minutes. Without objection. It paints a dismal picture of the va, and its not just in health care. And if you
Thank you, representative. As the prouder rep zresentativef the 4h 0,000 veteran who is liv in my district, i want to get this right. Congress has promised to take care of our veterans. Our veterans and their families have earned and deserve to be taken care of. They have sacrificed for our country and now our country must sacrifice for them. We are here today at a pivotal moment. We must act decisively and fix what must be fixed. As i sit here with my colleagues, both republican and democrat, i know that both of you care deeply about our veterans and i know you all truly want to fix the problems currently plaguing the v. A. I know what happened in phoenix was intolerable. That the v. A. Must undergo a complete cultural and systemic transformation. And that individuals should and must be held accountable. But i also see this as an opportunity to make changes. An opportunity we must seize. An opportunity to show the American People that it not only has the will, but the way forward to m