[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4296]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    LET'S TAKE CARE OF OUR VETERANS

  (Mr. ALLEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the VA 
Accountability First Act. This legislation provides the VA's Secretary 
with increased ability to remove, demote, or suspend any VA employee 
for poor performance or misconduct.
  Why it takes legislation to enforce common sense is beyond me. Just 
like in the business world, the VA and its employees must be held 
accountable for their actions.
  Three weeks ago, I hosted a veterans townhall in Swainsboro, Georgia. 
Many of the complaints and concerns shared with me were about wait 
times. One thing no one has enough of is time, especially our veterans. 
For far too long, veterans have waited for care at their own expense. 
This is unacceptable.
  It is our responsibility to not only take care of, but provide the 
best possible care to our servicemen and -women. Getting rid of bad and 
incompetent actors is a great place to start.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. It is truly 
the least we can do for those who have done so much for us.

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