WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the House voted 426-0 to pass the Huelskamp sponsored H.R. 4810, the Veterans Access to Care Act. This legislation would require the VA to offer non-VA care to any enrolled veteran who cannot get an appointment within the VA wait time goal of 14 days or who lives more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility. The bill would also ban bonuses for two years, require a quarterly report to Congress, independent assessment of Administration performance, and report to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees.

As a voice in support of Veterans while serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Representative Huelskamp released the following statement:

“When I traveled to the Wichita Dole VA facility last week for a surprise investigation, I made it clear that I was going to do whatever it takes to change the bureaucratic nightmare the VA has become. It is time to ensure that Veterans receive quality health care closer to home. HR 4810 is a proactive solution providing our Veterans choice in health care, an independent review of VA performance, eliminating those outrageous bonuses, and holding this Administration accountable for the VA failures.

“As a member of the Veterans Affairs committee who has led the fight for Kansas Veterans, this is a long overdue, proactive, multi-pronged solution I have been advocating for since coming to Congress. This bill provides an initial solution to the ongoing VA scandal and helping to meet the future needs and demands of Veterans.

“Whether it’s the veteran named Joe from Syracuse who was forced to make three round trips to Wichita in 10 days for services he could have received in his hometown, or Jack in Liberal who has been promised a doctor for 2 years, or Larry in Oberlin who was told to drive 10 hours for a shingles vaccination—our Veterans and their families deserves quality care close to home.”