Bost Outlines Areas of Reforms to Effectively Advocate for Veterans

Press Release

Residents of Illinois' 12th District gathered in Marion last night to hear congressional candidate Mike Bost discuss the need for VA accountability and solutions. During the hour-long town hall forum, Bost outlined five key reforms to effectively advocate for our veterans:

* Upgrading Technology: Merging the electronic health records of the Department of Defense with the Department of Veteran affairs to help ease the transition from military to civilian life;

* Ending Wait Lines: Reduce the VA backlog by allowing veterans to visit private doctors when they live too far way from a VA facility or when their wait time exceeds beyond a specified time period;

* Reforming Performance Measures: The performance measure system directly led to the cover-ups at VA facilities all across the country. It created a culture of corruption and is a system in dire need of reform;

* Holding Town Halls: Will hold town hall meetings on constituents' experiences with the VA, which allow them to voice their concerns in an open and timely manner while making their congressman accountable and

* Focusing on Local VA Casework: Given the 12th Congressional District is home to the largest population of veterans in the state, Bost pledged to hire aveteran as a member of his district staff to handle constituent inquiries on VA benefits.

"We need to carefully address the VA's systematic problems by finding immediate measurable solutions while at the same time demanding accountability," said Bost. "These areas of focus provide a two step approach: Fixing the VA with common sense solutions that have eluded Congress thus far while adding a layer of accountability at home by making our elected officials appear in their district in an open setting for constituents to express their concerns publicly."

Bost's plan comes as news reports indicate additional VA facilities are being questioned about secret wait lists and delayed care. According to WSILTV, "The Department of Veterans Affairs maintained 10 such "secret waiting lists" of military veterans in need of care at facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, the letter said. They also said at least 96 veterans waited more than 90 days for treatment at seven facilities in those states…."

"One of the basic functions of a congressman is to be responsive to the people they represent," said Bost. "Congressman Enyart is not representing his constituents. To accurately represent people, one must be willing to show up in a public, open setting and listen. I urge Bill Enyart to join me in agreeing in all five areas of reform during his Marion VA visit today."

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