Ranking Member Walz Sends Letter to Senate VA Committee on VA Sec. Nominee David J. Shulkin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Tim Walz (MN-01) released the following statement after sending a letter to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs regarding the February 1 confirmation hearing of Dr. David J Shulkin, nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Dr. Shulkin’s distinguished career speaks for itself—running some of the largest health care systems in the nation, delivering quality health care and supporting groundbreaking medical research. In the 114th Congress, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Shulkin in his current role as Under Secretary of Health at the Department. I know him to be a true and passionate advocate for veterans, and I am pleased his nomination is being considered today. I believe his clear-eyed recognition of the challenges we face will serve him well as we move forward.
Over the past several years, every Member of Congress has fielded concerns from veterans, their families and loved ones about access to care and benefits. Our committees and the VA have done important work to improving our veterans’ experience. Make no mistake, we still have work to do, and House Democrats are eager to roll up our sleeves and continue that work.”
The full text of the letter to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee is available below:
Ranking Member Tim Walz
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
United States House of Representatives
Statement for the Record on the Nomination of Dr. David J. Shulkin
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs
February 1, 2017
Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for the opportunity to share the perspective of House Democrats both on Dr. Shulkin’s nomination and our priorities in the 115th Congress.
Serving our veterans as well as they have served us is one of the most bipartisan issues in Congress. As such, we have an incredible opportunity to work together to improve the lives of our nation’s veterans. I know Chairman Isakson, Chairman Roe, Ranking Member Tester and I all share a common vision: to transform the VA to deliver care and benefits efficiently and effectively for every single American veteran.
Implementing that vision will be Dr. Shulkin’s responsibility. Dr. Shulkin’s distinguished career speaks for itself—running some of the largest health care systems in the nation, delivering quality health care and supporting groundbreaking medical research. In the 114th Congress, I had the privilege of working with Dr, Shulkin in his current role as Under Secretary of Health at the Department. I know him to be a true and passionate advocate for veterans and I am pleased his nomination is being considered today. I believe his clear-eyed recognition of the challenges we face will serve him well as we move forward.
Over the past several years, every Member of Congress has fielded concerns from veterans, their families and loved ones about access to care and benefits. Our committees and the VA have done important work to improving our veterans’ experience. Make no mistake, we still have work to do and House Democrats are eager to roll up our sleeves and continue that work. As we move forward, we will continue to work diligently on both sides of the aisle to hold the VA accountable when needed and focus on our shared desired outcome: that no veteran is left behind.
Below are some of the specific priorities House Democrats will be focused on in the days ahead:
Access to Care
Over 9 million veterans rely on the VA every day for their healthcare needs and service-connected and specialty care. From traumatic brain injury to post-traumatic stress, to diseases caused by exposure to Agent Orange and women veterans’ access to care, VA doctors, nurses, and medical support staff perform miracles every day. That being said, it is incumbent on us in Congress and this Administration to ensure that each of them have the tools necessary to provide quality and timely care. As we consider short- and long-term care solutions in the 115th Congress, we must acknowledge that public-private partnerships and non-VA care will continue to play a critical role in years to come
VA Choice Program
Congress authorized the Choice Program under the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, P.L. 113-146 in response to a nationwide systemic VA patient access crisis. We need the VA to move towards a more integrated, permanent community care program that can respond to demands and needs for each city, region and state across the country. We need to decrease wait times and continue to deliver quality services to veterans and their families. The Choice Program has provided success in some areas, but in others, including my own district, we have experienced significant challenges that are unacceptable. As we work together to consolidate non-VA care, it is my hope that Congress and Dr. Shulkin work together to ensure the Department has the authority, budget, staff and provider and care networks in place to better coordinate care as the veteran population continues to age and more servicemembers transition home.
President’s Memorandum on the Federal Hiring Freeze
The President’s Memorandum on the federal hiring freeze issued on January 23, 2017 will harm veterans by leaving them without access to the critical care and services they deserve. Our nation’s veterans have already sacrificed enough, they should never be asked to bear the brunt of this freeze. Whether it’s a veteran applying for a job at another federal agency or scheduling a procedure at a VA hospital, this freeze will be felt across the country. Any partial lift or cherry-picked exempted positions is unacceptable. One in three people hired by the federal government is a veteran and this is nothing less than a burden and strain on the everyday lives of our men and women who served. Senator Tester and I teamed up to lead a letter to President Trump from our colleagues calling for the full lift of the freeze. As we move forward, Dr. Shulkin’s assistance is identifying how this is impacting veterans and vacant positions still unfilled at the Department will be enormously helpful in advocating for veterans.
Mental Health
I look forward to continuing our bipartisan work to ensure that veterans receive the mental health care and services they deserve. Many of our nation’s heroes return home only to face a completely new, internal war. We owe it to those who put their life on the line for our freedom to fight with them as they heal their invisible wounds. Chairman Roe and I founded the Invisible Wounds Caucus in the House prior to our leadership posts with our respective committees and so this an issue we feel strongly about across the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Dr. Shulkin and the new Administration have a moral obligation to improve the availability of mental health providers, mental health care and wrap-around services in every region and network as VA’s data continues to show drastic and horrifying shortage. This is nothing short of a crisis and it is a bipartisan issue we must address today.
Economic Security
Our goal as a nation is to provide those who serve with the opportunity to achieve the American Dream; to utilize their skills, support their families, and have passion for their work. Make no mistake about it, employing a veteran is not only morally right, it makes sense economically as well. Veterans provide employers with a strong, skilled, and dedicated workforce. Put simply, veterans know how to get the job done. The veterans working in my office exemplify this every day and I’m proud to spearhead this bipartisan mission with my colleagues. I encourage Dr. Shulkin to continue the work of the previous Administration on bolstering the service-to-career pipeline and continue its partnership with the Department of Labor VETS. Whether it’s protecting the Post 9/11 GI bill or improving the tuition assistance programs for transitioning servicemembers, I hope Dr. Shulkin and this Administration will work with House Democrats on these moral obligations to each veteran.
Affordable Care Act
As we explore short and long-term solutions for VA and non-VA care, we must take into consideration any potential impacts of repealing The Affordable Care Act. With over 22 million veterans in our country, only 9 million are enrolled in the VA. The millions of veterans who do not use VA or only use VA as a part of their health care needs is a critical component of our nation’s care system. Since 2013, the ACA has reduced the number of uninsured elderly veterans fell by an estimated 42 percent according to the National Health Interview Survey. While the ACA has brought tremendous opportunity throughout our nation, we must recognize that despite increased access to care in some parts of the country does not translate into all. As both committees continue our work on the long-term implications of the Choice Card and coordinating care in the community, I urge Dr. Shulkin and the Department to take seriously the pending health care challenges ahead for our veterans and their families in the months to come beyond the VA.
I appreciate the opportunity to share our thoughts and perspective today. I have optimism and confidence we can move forward together in a direction that truly improves the lives of veterans for generations to come.
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