[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8546]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     MEANINGFUL REFORMS FOR THE VA

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note the veterans' bills 
passed by the House of Representatives this week. Amongst the 
legislation are bills to provide veterans with a cost-of-living 
adjustment for disability compensation, create a pilot program to 
explore magnetic resonant therapy as treatment for veterans with mental 
health conditions, and streamline the disability claims process at the 
VA, amongst other legislation.
  I would like to specifically highlight the VA Scheduling 
Accountability Act. A 2014 investigation found that no less than 40 
veterans died while on unauthorized waiting lists, waiting to receive 
care that they never got. This is completely unacceptable. This 
legislation puts into place measures to ensure every facility is in 
compliance with VA scheduling policies and will withhold any awards or 
bonuses from any centers who fail to certify their compliance.
  Together with our new VA Secretary David Shulkin, whom we met with 
this week, I am confident that we will continue to create meaningful 
reforms for the VA. As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, this is 
just one way we can honor veterans and those who have fallen for us.

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