April 07, 2014

President Obama Signs Bipartisan Veterans Affairs Bill into Law

Washington, D.C.  – President Obama signed into law today bipartisan legislation that will address many of the immediate systemic problems within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill, the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, takes steps to ensure veterans receive care in a timely fashion, and also strengthens accountability and transparency within the Department.

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME), Ranking Member on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, served as a lead negotiator on the conference committee tasked with finalizing the legislation. Michaud released the following statement today:

“Today represents an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs. The signing of this bipartisan legislation into law is, by no means, the end of this journey. In fact, it’s just the beginning.

“Now is the time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work on implementing a wide range of reforms within the VA. Veterans deserve timely and high-quality benefits and services – and too many still are not getting them. We must change the culture at the VA to one of customer service where veteran expectations are managed and met through positive engagement, and where employees are motivated to always do the right thing. A big part of getting there means increasing accountability and transparency across the Department, and having an assessment of whether VA’s current structure allows it to meet the needs of veterans. I look forward to working with Secretary McDonald over the long-term on achieving a stronger, more veteran-focused VA.”