Motion to Instruct Conferences on H.R. 3230, Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like
to thank Congressman Rahall for yielding, and for your leadership on this issue to make sure our veterans get the health care that they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the Rahall motion to instruct our conferees. I look at this issue, not as a Member of Congress, but as a doctor who has worked in the VA system.
Now, these are men and women who stepped up to answer the call to duty, to protect our freedoms, American freedoms, and we need to give them that same duty when they return. That is why we need to have enough doctors, nurses, and health care professionals in the VA system.
It has been reported, many of these men and women, needing necessary care, often have to wait 30 days, 60 days. That is unconscionable.
This isn't a Democratic or Republican issue. This is an issue of getting our men and women, our veterans, the necessary health care that they need.
And as a doctor, you have to have a work force. You have to have necessary health care professionals that can address these needs in a timely manner.
This is a very simple section of the Senate bill that Congressman Rahall is suggesting we move forward, section 203. It would directly address the workforce shortage and the doctor shortage in the VA by targeting funding to hire additional health care providers and prioritizing these additional providers for the facilities that need them most.
It is common sense. It is the right thing to do to serve our men and women, to serve our veterans. Accepting these provisions is just one of many steps that we must do to ensure that they get the care that is necessary.
There are other things that we can do, but this is something we can do immediately, and we shouldn't delay it another week, another year. Let's take care of our veterans.
There is other legislation out there. We have a bipartisan bill, the Doctors Helping Heroes Act. It is Democrat and Republican. It is common sense.
Once we get section 203 passed, let's do more to train those necessary doctors. We can do it, and we have got the will, and I really commend my colleague from West Virginia, Congressman Rahall, for taking the lead here. Let's do what is necessary to serve our men and women, our veterans, and let's move section 203 forward.
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