Press Releases
Congresswoman Annie Kuster Applauds Bill to Help Improve Access to Health Care for Veterans Becoming Law
Washington, DC,
August 7, 2014
This morning, Congresswoman Annie Kuster released the following statement applauding President Obama for signing into law comprehensive legislation to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Congresswoman Kuster helped introduce this legislation in the House, which passed on Wednesday of last week. “We all owe a great debt of gratitude to our veterans, many of whom put themselves in harm’s way to serve our nation and protect our way of life. Now, it is time to repay that debt and ensure that every veteran can access the health care services he or she needs and deserves. I applaud President Obama for signing into law this comprehensive legislation to address the appalling issues of mismanagement, long wait times, and other problems at the VA. As a Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I helped lead the investigation into the mismanagement at the VA, and have long pushed for the reforms contained in the comprehensive legislation signed today in order to hold the VA accountable and ensure all veterans can get immediate access to care. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill in the House, which will improve oversight and transparency at the VA and help our veterans access all health services they need.” Last month, Kuster sent a letter to House and Senate leadership calling on Congress to stay in session until comprehensive VA reform has passed. Since allegations of long wait times at the Phoenix VA were first discovered by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Kuster has joined her fellow Committee members in leading an investigation into any and all allegations of mismanagement at VA centers across the nation. She has repeatedly called for the reforms included in this bill, including increased oversight and audits of VA centers across the country, more power to fire negligent employees, and increased options for veterans to receive medical treatment from private facilities if their own VA centers are not immediately accessible. ### |