[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 76 (Tuesday, May 20, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H4485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, when our men and 
women in uniform take an oath to support and defend the Constitution, 
they enter into a contract with our government; and if they survive and 
return, they are veterans. Part of that contract entitles these 
veterans to quality health care through the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  Recently, it seems as though we are failing to uphold our part of 
this agreement. More than 8 million veterans seek medical care through 
the VA each year. Yet each year, we hear the same complaints of long 
wait times, canceled appointments, and concerns about the quality of 
care being administered.
  One of the largest VA facilities in District 30 of Texas, which is my 
district, has major problems that are not new and have been reported 
time and time again, year after year, with little change. This is 
simply unacceptable. We owe it to our veterans to provide timely and 
quality health care. Anything less should be met with great criticism 
and responded to with much-needed reform.
  Mr. Speaker, our Nation will be judged by how we treat our veterans. 
Our veterans put their lives at risk every day while deployed. Their 
lives should not be at risk while seeking medical care here at home.

                          ____________________