Mr. Chairman and fellow members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee: 

I am pleased and honored to have met the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, General Eric Shinseki, and I believe President Obama has made an excellent decision with his selection of the general.  Secretary Shinseki’s record of service to this nation is one of steadfast dedication and solid judgment, and I am confident he will bring his work ethic to the VA to ensure that our country’s veterans are honorably and rightfully taken care of.

Mr. Secretary, thank you for being here today and for taking time this morning to meet with me and my colleagues on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.  As you are aware, Mr. Secretary, VA care and services have improved over the past years but we all know much work remains to give our veterans the care they and the American people expect and deserve.

There are several issues which must be considered top priorities; for example, reducing the backlog of hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been waiting months for their disability benefits and continuing to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. 

Mr. Secretary, another issue affecting my district and many others is access to specialty care.  We need to assist those veterans who must spend hours driving to the nearest VA facility to receive specialty care because their local facilities are not equipped to help them.  For example, St. Joseph County in my district has a population of more than a quarter million people, yet area veterans must too often drive more than two hours each way to get to the nearest VA hospital for specialty care, tests, or other care.  While there is an excellent outpatient clinic in South Bend, it is unable to provide many needed services.  I would encourage the VA to look at ways to help veterans in those communities who lack a nearby VA hospital and for whom a clinic isn’t enough. 

Thank you for being here today, and I look forward to working with you in the future.