[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8816-8817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  VETERANS DESERVE BETTER FROM THE VA

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, not only as a 
Member of Congress, but as a veteran and former prisoner of war, 
demanding answers on behalf of my fellow veterans.
  Recently, reports surfaced that regional VA employees had secret 
lists to hide the lengthy wait times for patients, which may have 
resulted in the loss of lives of some of our veterans. This is 
unacceptable.
  Our men and women in uniform serve their country admirably, risking 
their lives to keep us safe and protect our freedoms. They deserve the 
highest standards of medical care available.
  Last week, I urged the VA inspector general to investigate alleged 
misconduct at three VA clinics in Texas. We need answers and 
accountability for any wrongdoing.
  A fellow POW in Vietnam etched the following on a prison cell. He 
said:

       Freedom has a taste to those who fight and almost die that 
     the protected will never know.

  Veterans know that. That is why we owe them our deepest gratitude and 
the best possible care.

[[Page 8817]]



                          ____________________