Working to Integrate Networks Guaranteeing Member Access Now Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 5166, sponsored by Representative Yoho, which would give certified congressional office caseworkers access to veterans' electronic disability claims records at the Veterans Benefits Administration.

The purpose of the bill is to provide faster answers to our veteran constituents who call our offices to help with their VA claims. By the time veterans contact us, many have already faced delays or frustrating experiences trying to get answers themselves. This bill will allow our congressional caseworkers read-only access to disability claims records. This means they will not be able to add or remove anything from a veteran's record.

The bill also includes privacy safeguards, which reinforce the necessity for getting prior consent from a veteran before a caseworker can access a veteran's files. Additionally, the bill requires that congressional employees certified for this access must be full-time employees who provide constituent services.

I am hopeful that as this program is developed, VA will put in place a tracking system to ensure these employees are only assisting constituents from their congressional districts and that congressional staff are held accountable if found to have abused any aspect of this new and unprecedented authority.

In short, Mr. Speaker, there is broad, bipartisan support among our colleagues for helping veterans get timely answers to their claims questions. Allowing full-time congressional staff members access to electronic disability claims records on a read-only basis is a step in the direction of putting the veteran's interest first and foremost.

I support H.R. 5166, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source