July 25, 2014

Today Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District joined her colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Boehner and Senator Reid urging them to keep Congress in session through the scheduled August recess until a compromise between the Senate and House versions of the Veterans’ Access to Care Act is agreed to and signed into law. A swift resolution is critical to ensuring the VA has the necessary resources to increase veterans’ access to care and implement much needed accountability measures. Titus is the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. 

“We can never fully repay our veterans for their service or their families for the sacrifices they have made, but we can at the very least work a few extra days to ensure that they receive the benefits they are owed in a timely fashion,” said Titus.  

The text of the letter is below:

July 25, 2014
 
Dear Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Boehner,

We, the undersigned Members of Congress, urge you to not let the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives go out of session prior to a successful resolution to the Conference Committee that was formed to work out a compromise between the Senate and House versions of the Veterans’ Access to Care Act, and its subsequent passage in both chambers of Congress.

The health of the veterans who have served us so bravely should not be placed on the back burner while Congress is away during the August district work period. Our veterans have served the nation with honor, and we owe it to them to waste no more time in ensuring they have access to the best health care possible. In light of recent serious complications and allegations of wrong-doing within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in addition to validated long wait times at VA medical facilities, it is extremely urgent that a fix be put into place as soon as possible.

Both the Senate and House versions would expand veterans’ ability to seek care at non-VA facilities under certain conditions, strengthen Congress’ oversight of the VA and eliminate performance-related bonuses for VA employees. We need to address the overwhelmed VA and ensure all veterans get the care they have earned through their service to our country. Our veterans deserve nothing but the very best.

Again, this issue is far too serious to wait, and we encourage a swift resolution to be found by remaining in session until a suitable compromise bill can be passed out of both chambers. Let’s put our nations’ veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, first.
 
Sincerely,

Dina Titus
Member of Congress