VA Reform Bill, Including Gallego Proposals, Passed House Today
Washington – U.S. Representative Pete P. Gallego (D-Alpine) spoke in favor of and voted for the final version of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act this afternoon. The bill was negotiated between House and Senate and was approved in the House with a huge bipartisan margin of 420 to 5.
On Monday, House and Senate negotiators agreed on exact language for a VA reform bill. The bill includes two proposals U.S. Rep. Gallego argued for on the House floor – adding or expanding VA health care facilities throughout the country and hiring additional health care professionals at VA health care facilities.
“As I said on the floor, taking care of our veterans – our war heroes – is not a partisan issue; it took pressure, but Congress finally took action,” U.S. Rep. Gallego said. “The compromise centers on veterans, not on politics. For weeks, I’ve pushed for an agreement between the House and Senate. I hear, see and feel firsthand the pain of veterans who have served honorably but now are forced to battle the very agency created to help them. For the over 50,000 veterans I represent, know that this is a first step in the process of tearing down agency walls, so that we can rebuild a VA that works.”
Recently, U.S. Rep. Gallego presented a motion to expedite completion of a portion of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act that was being negotiated by a House-Senate Conference Committee. The Gallego motion would have directed the House negotiators to agree to over two dozen additional leases for new or expanded VA health care facilities in 17 states plus Puerto Rico. These new or expanded facilities would help address wait times for medical care.
For Texas, Gallego’s efforts will expand VA facilities in San Antonio as well as add new facilities in Lubbock, Tyler and Houston.
Last Friday, U.S. Rep. Gallego also urged the House-Senate Conference Committee to agree to hire more physicians and health care professionals for VA health care facilities. Gallego further urged the negotiators to complete their work on legislation to reform the VA. Gallego argued in favor of a motion to instruct the House negotiators to include the hiring of additional health care providers in the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act.
Click here to watch U.S. Rep. Gallego speak about the need for more health care professionals at VA health care facilities on House floor.
Provisions of the final agreement of the VA reform bill include:
· 27 new or expanded VA facilities
· More doctors, nurses, health care providers and support staff
· Private care for veterans residing more than 40 miles from a VA facility
· Private care for veterans waiting over 30 days for an appointment
· Provides $10 billion for newly-established “Veterans Choice Fund” to cover the costs of increased access to private care
For more information on U.S. Rep. Gallego, visit www.gallego.house.gov. Learn more about U.S. Rep. Gallego by liking his Facebook page or by following him on Twitter.
U.S. Representative Pete P. Gallego, D-Alpine, represents the 23rd District of Texas, which includes all or parts of 29 counties in southwest Texas, stretching from San Antonio to El Paso. He serves on the House Armed Services and House Agriculture Committees.
