Catching Up with Annie
Fighting for our Veterans
Washington, D.C.,
June 26, 2014
Hi Everyone! Mourning the Tragic Loss of a Granite Stater I was devastated to learn of the tragic death of Lance Corporal Brandon Garabrant, who served his country so bravely in Afghanistan. Through his dedicated service as a volunteer fire fighter and as a Marine, Lance Corporal Garabrant made his family, his state, and his nation proud. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Granite State are with Lance Corporal Garabrant’s family and friends. It is our responsibility as Granite Staters and as Americans to protect and honor all those who serve our great nation and guard our freedom. Working to Fix the VA and Improve Care for NH Veterans Last Wednesday, I pushed VA officials to increase the focus on measuring outcomes, so moving forward the VA can implement best practices and ensure that our veterans are receiving the care they need as quickly and efficiently as possible. I also questioned private sector health care administrators about how non-VA care providers can be better integrated into the VA health care system to provide a more robust model of community-based care for our veterans. We must take every step necessary to ensure that our veterans never have to wait to receive the care they deserve. Then at another VA hearing on Friday, I questioned VA officials about their performance review process and awarding bonuses to substandard employees, a practice that was recently brought to light by the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and national audits (Read more on this hearing here). The VA must immediately improve current metrics for awarding bonuses - and any employee who deliberately manipulated wait times and falsified records in order to get a bigger bonus should immediately be terminated. The systemic mismanagement and lack of oversight at many VA facilities has led to an absence of motivation and poor performance among VA staff members. This is absolutely unacceptable, and our veterans deserve better. I am committed to reforming this broken system and holding the VA accountable, so our veterans can immediately access the care they need and deserve (Watch the video here). I was proud to cosponsor a bill to continue to push the VA to improve efficiency so that no veteran ever has to wait to receive health care. H.R. 4841, the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, would increase health care options for veterans, improve transparency at the VA, and reduce the risk of mismanagement. Last week, the Senate passed companion legislation introduced by Senators John McCain and Bernie Sanders by an overwhelming margin, and I voted to convene a conference committee to finalize this legislation and increase accountability and reform at the VA. I urge my colleagues on this bipartisan, bicameral conference committee to act swiftly to finalize an agreement between the House and Senate versions of this important VA legislation. Supporting the Humanities in NH I was honored to be presented last week with a cultural map of New Hampshire by New Hampshire Humanities Council Executive Director Debbie Watrous. This beautiful map is filled with images of Granite State history, culture, and unique geography. The Council is doing amazing work to spread education and engagement through the humanities far and wide in our great state! Helping Granite Staters I was contacted by a constituent named Richard Elz from Milford, who was having difficulty receiving his aid and attendance benefit from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). My staff worked with the VA to expedite the process and obtain this benefit for Richard. If my office may ever be of assistance with a problem you are facing, please contact my staff at 603-226-1002 so we may help you resolve your problem or get you the information you need. Have a good week and thanks for everything you do to make New Hampshire such a special place to live! |
