Ever since the Inspector General and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution exposed the scandalous care at the Atlanta VA, I have been fighting to improve services for our veterans.
Last year, I toured the Atlanta VA with the Republican chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Jeff Miller, to see the situation firsthand. But I did not need an IG report to tell me something was amiss. My district offices have experienced a spike in veterans’ cases. Many of these cases were related to bureaucratic problems at the VA.
After receiving incomplete and misleading reports from the VA leadership in Washington, I was the first to call for the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. I saw management and culture problems that would become a political problem if it were not addressed in a Truman-like manner. The buck had to stop somewhere. This is a serious problem in need of full bipartisan commitment to change the culture at the VA.
Fortunately, this is one of the few examples of Congress working together to solve a problem. The House and Senate passed House Resolution 3230, the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, by a large bipartisan vote. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law.
A veteran should not have to wait months for a medical appointment. The bill would allow a veteran enrolled in the VA health care system to receive care outside the VA system if the veteran is unable to secure an appointment at a VA medical facility within 30 days, or if the veteran resides more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facility. A Veterans Choice Card to eligible veterans will facilitate care by non-VA providers.
The bill would fund additional physicians and medical staff, and authorize 27 major medical facility leases, including $6.4 million to expand the outpatient clinic in Austell. This additional capacity will help cut wait times.
To bring real accountability for incompetent or corrupt senior managers, the bill would authorize the VA to fire or demote Senior Executive Service employees for poor performance or misconduct.
I have been working to recruit more psychiatrists to the VA and am glad legislation I sponsored is included in HR 3230. It expands student loan repayment programs to recruit specialty doctors, including psychiatrists, to the VA. Further, this bill allows veterans to receive in-state tuition. I have introduced bills in past years to create similar opportunities for active-duty state residents.
I am bringing the VA out to the community. The director of the Atlanta Regional Benefit Office, Al Bocchicchio, and the director of the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Leslie Wiggins, will attend my health fair Aug. 16 at Mundy’s Mill High School in Jonesboro. I encourage all metro area veterans with pending issues to attend.
Our work is not over. I will keep working on this issue until I hear from Georgia veterans that they are receiving first-class care in a timely manner.
David A. Scott, a Democrat, is U.S. representative for Georgia’s 13th Congressional District.
