Rep. Jim Renacci (OH-16) today voted in favor of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will bring more accountability and provide meaningful reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“Like many living in Ohio’s 16th District, I was deeply troubled to learn last month that nearly 60,000 veterans are still waiting for their first appointment at the VA,” said Rep. Renacci. “The VA’s widespread mismanagement and unacceptable treatment of our veterans will not be tolerated. We can and must be doing better to keep our promise to those who have served our country.”
Last month, the House of Representatives passed the Veteran Access to Care Act with unanimous support. This bipartisan legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to allow veterans to receive private care outside of the VA if they have experienced extensive wait times or if they live more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility. The Senate followed the House and passed similar legislation, and today’s package is the product of a compromise between House and Senate leaders to reach an agreement on how to best address the problems at the VA.
Rep. Renacci added, “The VA is broken and it is clear that we must take the necessary steps to address its systematic failures. Standing up for those who have served is one of my most important responsibilities as a member of Congress, and I was proud to see the Senate follow our lead and pass legislation that will provide meaningful reforms to the VA. Passage of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act is evidence that when the House and Senate work together, much can be accomplished. Today’s bill will not only bring accountability to the VA, it will also enhance veterans’ access to care as well as the quality of care that they receive. It has been sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”
Key Provisions within the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act:
- Provides $10 billion for veterans to seek private care at hospitals and clinics outside the VA, and $5 billion to allow the department to hire more doctors, nurses, and medical staff.
- Provides $1.5 billion to be spent on leases to use other medical facilities at 27 sites around the country.
- Makes it easier for the Veterans Affairs Secretary to fire staff at a department where officials covered up long wait times.
- Requires public colleges to provide in-state tuition to veterans and eligible dependents in order for the school to remain eligible to receive G.I. Bill education payments.
- Expands scholarship money to include spouses of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty after 9/11.
- Provides veterans with counseling and treatment for sexual trauma that occurred during inactive duty training.
- Reduces funding for bonuses available to VA employees by $40 million each year through FY 2024.