Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump called for bipartisanship during his State of the Union address:

“I was pleased to hear the President deliver such a spirited State of the Union, which touched on so many important issues and highlighted many of the sacrifices and achievements of our nation's veterans. In his address, the President drove home the message that we need to “choose greatness” and reminded the nation that this is done best through compromise.

“I am proud to say that during the 115^th Congress, while Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, we had an overwhelming number of bipartisan achievements. We have President Trump’s leadership to thank for that, but also the bipartisan approach that committee leaders in both the Senate and House maintained. Chairmen and Ranking Members were able to put aside political differences and focus on what really mattered, our nation’s veterans. Our model of success is exactly what the President just called on Congress to do.

“Last Congress, the House passed over 80 veterans bills and the President signed over two dozen into law, which incorporated roughly half of the House-passed measures. These laws addressed a number of critical issues for our nation’s veterans, such as improving veterans’ health care with the VA MISSION Act, providing educational benefits to our student veterans with the Forever GI Bill, ensuring veterans receive timely reviews on disability claims through the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, and improving accountability at VA with the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. The message the President delivered in the State of the Union reiterates the tone the Committee adopted during the 115^th Congress.

“I know that if we answer the call to action that President Trump just delivered to us, we will continue on our upward trajectory of improving services for veterans. I believe every member is ready to deliver on that call to action. I look forward to working with Chairman Mark Takano to preserve and build on the best traditions of the Committee as we move forward.”