Rep. Capito to President Obama: Remember Rural Veterans

Press Release

U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) has asked President Barack Obama to ensure rural veterans' needs are being met as the administration investigates the beleaguered U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In a letter to the White House, Rep. Capito endorsed a proposal from House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) to form an independent, bipartisan commission on VA access and veteran harm.

Rep. Capito also asked the president to ensure that rural veterans would be fully represented on the commission and reminded him of the challenges that rural veterans face in obtaining care.

"Our disabled veterans have to rely on their local communities for transportation to the medical center for treatment, which typically requires setting up appointments for multiple veterans at the same medical center to reduce the amount of trips taken to the VA. Due to the infrequency of available shared transportation, a veteran may have to spend multiple days away from home just to receive medical care," Rep. Capito wrote.

Rep. Capito's letter to the president comes as new information emerges about secret waiting lists and mismanagement at VA medical centers across the country.

"Recent allegations of secret waiting lists at the Phoenix VA Medical Center and reports of mismanagement at other medical centers have shaken the trust of our veterans in our nation's ability to follow through on the promises we have made. The men and women who have served in our armed forces have been promised medical care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and our nation must honor that promise," Rep. Capito wrote.

Chairman Miller said he appreciates Rep. Capito's continued efforts to help the nation's rural veterans.

"While I appreciate the fact that the president has assigned a crisis manager to help deal with what is indeed a crisis, VA officials in Washington have known about problems with medical care access for at least six years and have failed to fix them. The only way we can begin to fix the VA's delays-in-care problem is through an independent, bipartisan commission. Such a commission should represent all veterans, and I applaud Rep. Shelley Moore Capito for bringing the needs of rural veterans to President Obama's attention. The VA must provide quality, timely care to all of our veterans -- anything less is unacceptable

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