Gallego joins U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall in Motion to Allocate Additional Funding to Hire VA Health Care Professionals

Washington – Today, U.S. Representative Pete P. Gallego (D-Alpine) once again urged the House and Senate Conference Committee to complete their work on legislation to reform the VA. U.S. Rep. Gallego spoke in favor of a motion that asked the House to authorize the hiring of more physicians and health care professionals for the VA – a vote on the measure will take place next week.

U.S. Rep. Gallego also joined dozens of other members of Congress in a letter to House leadership demanding that Congress work through August until the House and Senate finalize a VA reform bill.

“There has been too much finger pointing and not enough problem solving where the VA is concerned. Here we have a real solution that many in both chambers agree on,” he said. “Why drag this out when we can solve the problem now.”

“No veteran cares about the party politics or the parliamentary procedure; they just want this problem fixed,” U.S. Rep. Gallego said. “There are less than five legislative days before this Congress adjourns for five weeks. It’s unacceptable that veterans have to wait while Congress dithers over whether the House or the Senate has better ideas. Take the best of each side’s ideas and move on.  I’ll continue to fight for our veterans every day and support ideas and proposals that help fix the VA and provide the quality health care our heroes deserve – regardless of whose ideas they are.”

The Rahall motion to instruct conferees (commonly known as an ‘MTI’) supported Senate language from part of a bill that previously passed the House and is now in negotiations between the House and Senate. The legislation is known as the Veterans Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014. The motion would have directed House negotiators to accept a provision from the Senate that would allocate additional funding to hire more health care professionals at the VA.

Click here to watch U.S. Rep. Gallego speak in support of the motion on House floor.

Last week, U.S. Rep. Gallego offered another motion to instruct conferees (commonly known as an ‘MTI’) to support Senate language from part of a bill that previously passed the House and now is in negotiation between both chambers. His motion would have directed the House negotiators to accept a provision from the Senate that would create new VA facilities or improve current VA facilities in certain parts of the country.

Click here to watch U.S. Rep. Gallego speak in support of that motion on House floor.