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U.S. Representative John Boehner
Steps at the VA
are Just the Beginning
Hearing directly from veterans in our own region on the veterans’
benefit claims backlog is what led to my pressing the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) for answers and accountability years ago.
Our veterans deserve nothing less.
What we eventually uncovered were full-blown systemic problems at the
VA.
I know I’m not alone in how outraged I was by the horror stories, and
we’re not going to let up until the issues at the VA are finally
resolved – it’s what I’ve said from day one and it’s still true
today. While Congress recently acted to provide the VA with
additional resources and the authority to hold senior officials
accountable in the wake of the VA scandal, passage of that law is just
the beginning.
In fact, I recently outlined to Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald
my thoughts on the independent audit of veterans’ health care that our
recently-enacted, bipartisan legislation requires. As I wrote in
my letter to Secretary McDonald, the intent of the independent
assessment is to gain valuable feedback that can be used to help
transform the VA into an effective, 21st-century model of service,
which is why I believe the review must rely not on traditional
government consultants, but on private sector entities with experience
in the successful delivery of modern, quality health care.
As I said when Secretary McDonald visited the Cincinnati VA Medical
Center, I’m encouraged by the secretary’s track record – he’s a strong
leader with decades of experience in the private sector –but there’s a
lot of work that needs to be done at the VA. What was enacted
this summer was just a first step toward the fundamental changes that
are needed to make certain the disgraceful stories we’ve heard in Ohio
and the tragedies across the country never happen again.
While it’s up to the president and his administration to put forth a
vision for fundamental change at the VA, that doesn’t mean I’m going to
let up the pressure. I’ve pressed for answers at the VA all
along, and that’s what I will continue to do.
As I work closely with our local veterans community on this, remember
that many of the widespread problems at the VA were exposed because
of early conversations with veterans in our local area. So
let me take this opportunity to remind all veterans in Ohio’s 8th
Congressional District that my office stands ready to assist you.
If you’re facing an issue at the VA, know that I have staff in my
office who will work directly with you. Please call 513-779-5400
for more information or visit our “Services for Veterans” webpage at
boehner.house.gov.
Boehner represents Ohio’s 8th District, which includes all of Butler,
Clark, Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, and the southernmost part of
Mercer County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.
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