Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT.

Mr. PETERS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, in the interests of common sense, I rise today to offer an amendment that will save taxpayer dollars by reducing waste in prescription medications at the VA. Currently, whenever patients leave a VA hospital, leftover medications like eye drops and inhalers are just thrown away. Often, veterans would have to go right to the pharmacy to refill what was discarded.

My amendment simply directs the VA to implement a program that would re-label prescription drugs used in VA hospitals to be sent home with discharged patients for outpatient use. My amendment offers a simple, commonsense change that will save taxpayers an estimated $14 million over 10 years, while saving patients both time and effort.

I am proud that this amendment has the support of the American Legion and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and urge its passage here today.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT.

Mr. PETERS. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, while I applaud the progress this Congress has made in ensuring that our Nation's veterans receive the care they deserve, and the efforts of Secretary Shinseki in making the VA a more proactive institution, we must continue to work to improve the responsiveness of the VA both in terms of treatment our veterans receive and the care with which the VA or any agency handles taxpayer money.

It is in this spirit that I am offering my amendment to the MILCON-VA Appropriations Act. My amendment works to both increase the efficiency in which the VA obligates funds, and the speed at which necessary contracts for supplies and services are fulfilled.

The VA Office of Inspector General audited a sample of over 18,000 VA contracts which identified some areas of concern regarding contracts that remain unfulfilled. With little or no oversight for months of these contracts, the OIG projected that $55 million a year, and $261 million over 5 years, could be put to better use.

By conducting a simple review after a period of 90 days in which the contract is inactive in fulfilling the contract, millions of dollars can be de-obligated from contracts that no longer need to be fulfilled or can be fulfilled in a more productive manner.

The American Legion agrees with my amendment as a commonsense change and step in the right direction, and I urge its passage here today.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT.

Source