Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement on the Senate passing by a 91-3 vote H.R. 3230, the Veterans' Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act, now headed to the President for signature:
“Mr. President, I am proud that the Senate today passed important and timely legislation to begin addressing the most pressing issues raised by the ongoing scandal in veterans’ health care, which began with revelations in Phoenix before spreading across the country this year.
“This bill is a beginning – not an end – to the efforts that must be taken to address this crisis. Still, it includes some of the most significant changes to the VA in decades.
“For the first time, veterans will receive a Choice Card. If a veteran can’t get an appointment in a reasonable time frame or lives far from a VA medical facility, they can select a local healthcare provider of their choice to provide the timely, quality care they deserve. This reform quickly and effectively addresses the most common issue I hear from veterans – the seemingly never-ending wait-times for appointments at VA facilities. I first proposed this kind of program when I ran for president in 2008, and I am gratified that today we are finally providing our veterans with the flexibility and choice in health care that they have earned.
“This legislation also brings badly needed accountability to VA operations, to help change the corrupt culture at the VA that numerous audits and investigations have clearly identified. It includes provisions empowering VA administrators to immediately fire poor-performing employees with no pay while they appeal their cases. Among other provisions, this bill also extends the Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury for three more years. This important program provides vital 24-hour care to veterans with traumatic brain injuries in Arizona and around the country.
“Our country owes a debt of gratitude to Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL), whose dogged and determined oversight work as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs exposed to the nation this shameful scandal. I thank my friend Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), who has long fought for veterans to have more choices in health providers, and for more oversight and accountability in the VA bureaucracy. Finally, I thank Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), with whom I agree on very little politically, but whose tenacity and passion on behalf of America’s veterans cannot be questioned.
“This bill is a compromise, so none of us got everything we wanted. And even as there is much more to do to fulfill our solemn responsibility to all who have served, the legislation passed today represents a significant step forward in addressing this crisis.”
