07.24.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Vice Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) released the following statement after the full committee met in open session to assess how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has implemented the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 since the legislation was signed into law. During the hearing, Vice Ranking Member Takano addressed several challenges facing appeals modernization, including leadership vacancies and
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07.23.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Robert Wilkie to be Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):
“I firmly believe that any individual nominated by President Trump to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs will inherently work to move key VA services, initiatives, and resources into the private sector,” said Ranking Member Tim Walz. “That is why I find Mr.
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07.19.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN), released the following statement after he led a group of nine committee Democrats in sending a letter to Special Counsel Henry Kerner requesting an investigation into whether Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Peter O’Rourke or his staff have violated the Hatch Act or other Title 5 prohibitions against removing, demoting, or reassigning Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees for
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07.18.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN), alongside House Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MCVA) Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), released the following statement in response to a letter sent by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) and House Budget Committee Chairman Steve Womack (AR-03) to the members of the conference committee for H.R. 5895,
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07.17.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Vice Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) released the following statement after the full Committee met in open session to investigate how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 (Accountability Act) has been implemented over the past year.
The Accountability Act was a compromise bill that was intended to give VA more tools to hold bad employees accountable while maintaining
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07.12.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the committee voted to advance 10 pieces of bipartisan veterans legislation, including multiple bills championed by Democrats:
“Once again, our committee came together to improve the lives of our nation’s veterans,” said Rep. Walz. “I could not be prouder of the legislation we advanced today and the work our committee accomplishes on a daily basis. I am
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07.12.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs approved the creation and leadership of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.
The subcommittee was announced by Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Walz (D-Minn.) on June 20 and will focus on oversight of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) technology projects, specifically the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Modernization program.
“As the department embarks on the nation’s largest EHR overhaul, it
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06.26.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the full Committee met in open session to conduct an oversight hearing regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) $16 billion Electronic Health Record (EHR) Modernization program.
“Veterans have waited decades for an electronic health record that is interoperable with DoD, and they deserve a system that works flawlessly,” said Rep Walz. “To get EHR
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06.26.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017. The bill grew out of legislation Ranking Member Walz championed in previous Congresses.
The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would finally grant presumptive Agent Orange exposure status to U.S. service members who served off the coast of Vietnam during the
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06.20.18 • Press Release
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, respectively, announced a hearing entitled, “VA Electronic Health Record Modernization: The Beginning of the Beginning.” The full committee hearing will be held on June 26, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz also announced they will create a new subcommittee under the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to focus on
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06.20.18 • Press Release
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, respectively, introduced a resolution to designate the week of June 18, 2018 as National GI Bill Commemoration Week.
Senators Carper (D-Del.), Isakson (R-Ga.), Sullivan (R-Ala.) and Tester (D-Mont.) introduced the Senate version of this resolution.
The first-ever GI Bill was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22,
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06.19.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement reacting to a threatening letter sent by Acting Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Peter O’Rourke to Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General Michael Missal:
“The letter sent from Acting Secretary O’Rourke to VA Inspector General Missal is beyond the pale, even for this administration,” said Walz. “In his letter, O’Rourke made an explicit attempt
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06.18.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after multiple news outlets reported that nearly half of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing homes received VA’s lowest ranking of one out of five stars, data VA purposefully sought to keep from the public:
“Widespread underperformance at VA nursing homes is a betrayal of veterans’ trust and wellbeing,” said Rep. Walz. “VA concealing this data from the
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06.06.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Networks Act of 2018, otherwise known as the VA MISSION Act of 2018, was signed into law:
“Ensuring veterans have access to high quality and timely healthcare is a moral obligation we all share in this country,” said Rep. Walz. “While the
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05.21.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R.4245, the Veterans’ Electronic Health Record Modernization Oversight Act of 2017, along with 13 other pieces of bipartisan legislation designed to honor and improve the lives of veterans across the United States. The VA Electronic Health Record Modernization Oversight Act, which is sponsored by Ranking Member Walz,
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05.17.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) entered into a contract with Cerner Corporation to modernize VA’s electronic health record (EHR) system:
“Modernizing VA’s electronic health record system has been one of my highest priorities since coming to Congress,” said Rep. Walz. “For too long, servicemembers transitioning from the Department of Defense (DoD) to
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05.16.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed S. 2372, the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (VA MISSION) Act of 2018:
“If we are to fulfill our nation’s moral obligation to care for those who have borne the battle, then it is our duty as a country to ensure each and
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05.08.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs voted to advance multiple pieces of legislation to the House floor, among them, the bipartisan VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018, the Blue Water Navy Veterans Act of 2018, and VA Electronic Health Record Modernization Oversight Act of 2017:
“First and foremost, I would like to thank Chairman Roe for including so many great pieces of bipartisan
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04.26.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement welcoming Representative Conor Lamb (D-PA) to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs:
“It is my privilege to welcome Representative Conor Lamb to serve on our committee,” said Rep. Walz. “Rep. Lamb’s reputation for serving our nation’s veterans precedes him. I am confident Rep. Lamb, who is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, will be a
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04.26.18 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement:
“It was the right decision for Adm. Ronny Jackson’s to remove himself as the nominee to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” said Rep. Walz.
“Immediately after Adm. Jackson withdrew, President Trump made a weak attempt to blame Senator Tester and Senate Democrats for obstructing his nominee to lead VA. In reality, this had nothing to do with Democrats and
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