[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 75 (Monday, May 19, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H4460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DYING IN LINE

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, American warriors have died in lands 
far, far away. We honor them this Memorial Day. But now, other American 
warriors are dying in the United States waiting for VA health care. 
They are ``dying in line.''
  According to whistleblowers, at least 40, maybe more, have died 
before they could see VA medical personnel. And it gets worse. 
Allegations are the VA then secretly hid the long delays and told 
employees to ``cook the books'' so it looked like there were no delays 
at all.
  Incompetence, secrecy, death. Reports indicate the VA may have known 
about the ``death line'' for years. Rather than fix the problem, the 
death line scandal has grown to include Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and 
Wyoming.
  Immediately, Mr. Speaker, give veterans the option through a voucher 
to see a private doctor. Fire the people that caused this. Put others 
that committed crimes in the line for the stockade, and fix the 
problem.
  Mr. Speaker, American veterans should not wait in line just to die.
  And that's just the way it is.

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