12.19.17 • Press Release
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 passed H.R. 4242, the VA Care in the Community Act, out of committee:
“I have always said it is imperative that any permanent solution to improve VA community care must empower rural veterans, help hometown doctors cut through federal red tape, increase access to high-quality, timely healthcare, maintain our commitment
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12.07.17 • Press Release
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 conduct an oversight hearing on the VA Medical/ Surgical Prime Vendor Next Generation (MSPV-NG) program, a program designed to streamline the purchasing of medical devices at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The primary focus of the hearing was on the Government Accountability Office’s report
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12.07.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN), released the following statement in response to news reports that the Trump Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) planned to end a $460 million program that had successfully reduced the number of veterans experiencing homelessness by over 50% since 2010. After outcry from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials, lawmakers, and advocacy groups for veterans and the homeless,
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11.17.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after he sent the following letter to President Donald Trump, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary James Mattis demanding the details of an Administration proposal - developed without input from Congress or veterans groups - to merge VA and DoD health systems and expand VA reliance on private care.
In
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11.13.17 • Press Release
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
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11.09.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN), Co-Chair of the National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus, sent the following letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Ranking Member Richard Neal enumerating the many ways the GOP tax plan, H.R. 1, The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act, will put the prosperity of our active duty servicemembers, veterans, and military families at risk:
The full text of the letter is available
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11.07.17 • Press Release
Washington, D.C. - Today, members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, led by Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-Minn.), introduced a bipartisan bill to streamline VA’s community care accounts into one veteran-centric program that replaces the Choice Program, removing the current 30-day, 40-mile requirement to give veterans more timely access to community care.
Committee members released the following statements:
“For the last ten months, I’ve sat
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11.03.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-Minn.), along with Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Committee Chairman Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) and Ranking Member Annie Kuster (D-NH), introduced legislation to strengthen Congress’ oversight of VA’s implementation of its new electronic health records system.
“As chairman and a physician, I know firsthand the value an effective electronic health
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11.02.17 • Press Release
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 passed eight bills out of committee:
“Each day, I continue to be proud of the work this committee does to improve the lives of our nation’s veterans. Whether it is streamlining the authorization process for veterans’ apprenticeship programs, improving the Veterans Crisis Line, or making VA telemedicine even better, the
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10.26.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN), released the following statement after he and the nine other Democratic members of the committee sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Dr. David Shulkin urging the Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development (ORD) to begin conducting and examining research into medical marijuana’s effects on veterans suffering from chronic pain and post-traumatic
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10.24.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) gave the following opening statement after the Committee met in open session to conduct a legislative hearing discussing nine health care related bills. Most notably, the Committee deliberated language, in two separate proposals, that will shape the future of VA’s Community Care program.
Ranking Member Walz Opening Statement As Prepared For Delivery
Over three years ago, this Committee worked
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10.16.17 • Press Release
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 held a legislative hearing on draft legislation, the Asset and Infrastructure Review Act of 2017:
“Providing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary with the authority and support he needs to assess and ultimately realign VA’s physical infrastructure is one of this Committee’s top priorities, however, the
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10.16.17 • Press Release
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 voted to pass six pieces of bipartisan legislation out of Committee.
“Today, Members on both sides of the aisle demonstrated their gratitude and respect to the men and women who bravely served in uniform for the United States,” Rep. Walz said. “I’d like to thank all Members of the Committee, Democrats and Republicans
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09.26.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2017, a bill ensuring that vital programs we have in place to take care of veterans continue past the end of the fiscal year.
“Today, Democrats and Republicans demonstrated their commitment to our nation’s heroes by passing legislation that will
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09.25.17 • Press Release
Washington, D.C. - Today, Reps. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, respectively, released the following statements after the House passed Roe and Walz’s resolution to authorize the creation of a commemorative coin in honor of The American Legion’s 100 years of service to America’s veterans.
"Since 1919, The American Legion has dedicated itself to serving our nation's veterans,” said Roe. “I’m proud to
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08.23.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after H.R.2288, The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, was signed into law:
“Thanks to the hard work and leadership of Representatives Mike Bost (R-IL) and Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), the President today signed into law a transformative VA appeals reform bill, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017,” Rep. Walz said.
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08.16.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after H.R. 3218, The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, was signed into law:
“As the highest ranking enlisted servicemember ever to serve in Congress, and as a teacher with over two decades of experience, I know firsthand the extraordinary value a quality education can have for a servicemember returning home,” Rep. Walz said. “That is why
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08.16.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and U.S. Representatives Phil Roe, R-Tenn., and Tim Walz, D-Minn., chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today applauded the signing by President Donald Trump of critical legislation to ensure veterans have continued access to health care in their own communities.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
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08.15.17 • Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released the details of its audit into the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) healthcare enrollment program. OIG found that VHA’s health care enrollment program is unreliable due to the decentralization of VHA’s electronic health record system VistA, which as a result prevents the
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08.11.17 • 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 in a pro forma session passed H.R. 2288, as amended: The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, a bill that if signed into law will modernize the disability claims appeals process at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):
“I’m extremely proud of my friends and colleagues on the House Committee on Veterans’
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