November 13, 2017

Ranking Member Walz Statement Following VA Asset and Infrastructure Review Markup

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs met in open session to markup H.R. 4243, the VA Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Act of 2017. H.R. 4242, the VA Care in the Community Act of 2017, legislation that would have taken steps to consolidate community care at the VA, was removed last night from markup consideration.

“I want to thank all of the members of our committee, especially Chairman Roe, for their good faith effort to improve care in the community and negotiate on VA asset review legislation,” said Ranking Member Walz. “We still have work to do on H.R. 4242 to ensure that we have a long term solution that does right by veterans, community care providers and the hardworking men and women on the front lines of the VA. And we cannot keep kicking the can down the road by extending a broken Choice program without a bipartisan path forward, which is why I voted against the AIR Act. In the bipartisan spirit of our committee, I encourage the Chairman to take a step back so our members can once again find a bipartisan path forward that will improve care for veterans without compromising on VA’s core mission.”

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