Griffin Supports VA Reform to Provide Veterans with Access to Quality Health Care

Press Release

Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement after the House passed the Veterans Access to Care Act (H.R. 4810) to address manipulation of patient wait times at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health facilities:

"Many veterans and their families have already suffered too much, and bold reform is necessary to ensure our veterans receive the quality care they need, have earned and deserve in a timely manner. Whatever is best for our veterans -- not the federal bureaucracy -- should be our priority. The VA has the budget and authority to provide our veterans with the best care, regardless of whether it is at a government or private hospital. I am committed to working with my colleagues to enact effective reforms to ensure mistreatment of our veterans never happens again and to keep our nation's promise to take care of America's heroes."

Rep. Griffin is an original cosponsor of H.R. 4810, the Veterans Access to Care Act. According to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, this bill provides access to non-VA care at the department's expense for any enrolled veteran who is unable to get an appointment within the VA's wait time goals or who lives more than 40 miles away from a VA health facility. The bill also bans bonuses for VA employees for the next 2 years and requires an independent assessment of the Veterans Health Administration to include plans for improving the VA's current health care system. Find out more about the specific provisions in the bill here.

H.R. 4810 also complements the House-passed VA Management Accountability Act (H.R. 4031), which gives the Secretary of Veterans Affairs authority to remove senior executive employees if the Secretary determines that the employee's performance warrants removal.

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