Thank you, Chairman Dent, Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz, and Chairman Frelinghuysen, for your work on this bill.
As we consider the first bill of the year, I’m frustrated that once again, the majority is departing from what had been long-standing committee practice of examining allocations for each subcommittee.
Democrats are focused on investments to create jobs, grow the economy, help hardworking American families, and provide for our security. When Republicans fail to govern responsibly and keep us in the dark on a complete set of allocations, we cannot adequately judge how our priorities may fare or this bill fits into the larger picture. And it certainly isn’t regular order.
Turning to the MilCon/VA bill, I first want to recognize the tremendous debt of gratitude we owe to those who have sacrificed for us in our armed forces as well as their family members who share in the service to our country. That is why our work is so important to ensure our veterans receive the honors, benefits, and assistance they have earned.
The Fiscal Year 2019 bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs would provide $96.9 billion, a $4 billion increase over the Fiscal Year 2018 enacted level. There are many essential components of this bill, including:
* $2.9 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration;
* $1.8 billion to address veteran homelessness;
* $511 million to support the health needs of women veterans; and
* The second installment of $2 billion for VA infrastructure improvement as part of the spending agreement reached in March.
I have long advocated for DOD and the VA to use the same electronic health records system, which would coordinate care for Veterans once they leave the service. While Former VA Secretary David Shulkin put VA on that path, the contract remains unsigned. It is my hope that the resources and oversight in this bill will ensure that the project moves quickly so the federal government can more efficiently meet the health needs of our veterans.
Lastly, it is unconscionable that a veteran who has the courage to seek treatment for substance abuse should be turned away for weeks because of limited capacity at the VA. I thank the Chairman for including report language I requested to urge the VA to reduce wait times for access to inpatient substance abuse treatment.
Mr. Chairman, while I appreciate the work on this bill, our work is done without knowing how it will strategically mesh with all the other spending bills. So, we can’t be sure that we are truly doing all we can to help not only Veterans but all Americans. I urge the Chairman to raise this with his leadership and work with Democrats to return to how things should be done.
Before I conclude, this will be the last full committee mark with Mr. Dent as Chairman of the subcommittee, and I thank him for his work and service. I look forward to working together to improve this bill as the process moves forward.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
