Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) today supported bipartisan legislation to implement reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs after reports surfaced earlier this year of excessive wait-times and misconduct at VA health facilities. The Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act (H.R. 3230) passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 420-5.

“I’ve been outraged as examples of outright mistreatment of many veterans over a long period of time have continued to emerge,” Wittman said. “Today’s bill is a positive step in restoring accountability at the VA and ensuring that our veterans have the options necessary to obtain the timely medical attention that they need and that they have earned.”

H.R. 3230 enables new private care options for veterans who have faced significant wait times or who live more than 40 miles from a VA health facility, while also authorizing the VA to enter into 27 major medical facility leases throughout the country. In addition, the bill allows the VA Secretary to dismiss or downgrade employees in a more expedited manner based on performance or misconduct, and ensures that wait-time metrics are not a factor in determining a VA employee’s eligibility for a bonus, thereby helping to eliminate an incentive for employees to misidentify wait-times.

“Our nation would not be what it is without our veterans and those who currently serve,” Wittman added. “We absolutely must ensure that the VA is positioned to best meet the needs of our veterans, both now and in the future. This scandal has uncovered a culture of misconduct and managerial failures at the VA, and today’s legislation will not solve the problem immediately. However, I am pleased at the overwhelming bipartisan support for reforms to protect our veterans and assure accountability at VA facilities. I remain committed to ensuring that our veterans have access to timely, high quality medical care.”

H.R. 3230 would require an independent assessment of the hospital care and medical services provided by VA medical facilities, and establishes a Commission on Access to Care to determine how best to organize the VA health system, locate health care resources, and deliver health care to veterans. The bill also puts into place a number of reforms to address the staffing shortage at VA health facilities, and requires a biennial report to Congress on staffing at each VA medical facility.

Representative Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.

# # #