Press Releases

Today, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a joint hearing to hear the 2019 Legislative Presentation of Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Below are Ranking Member Rep. Phil Roe's, M.D. (R-Tenn.) remarks:


Opening Remarks As Prepared for Delivery:

Welcome, Commander-in-Chief Lawrence, and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and Auxiliary.

It is an honor for me to be here with you this morning. Will my fellow Tennesseans please stand, if you are able, or raise your hand and be recognized?

Thank you.

I am grateful for the work the VFW and the Auxiliary do across this country every day in service to our veterans and their families.

I would be remiss, Commander Lawrence, if I did not recognize the hard work your VFW staff does right here in our Nation’s Capital.

VFW’s insights and frontline knowledge of the VA health care system continue to assist veterans struggling to receive VA care in a timely manner and inform the Committee where improvements are still needed.

Last Congress saw a record number of transformative pieces of legislation signed into law to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs in ways both large and small.

The passage of these laws would not have been possible without the diligent work and support of the VFW.

I look forward to continued collaboration with you, Commander Lawrence, to ensure that the legislation that we worked so hard to see signed into law is implemented as we intended and serves to further our common mission to uphold President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have borne the battle.

Commander Lawrence, it was not lost on me that your written testimony begins with the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act. As you know, this issue is near and dear to my heart.

In the 115^th Congress the House passed the bill 382-0.

I commit to you that I will do everything in my power to see that the bill passes the House again and is taken up and passed by the Senate so that all Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans receive the benefits they are due.

Another top priority of mine is oversight of the VA MISSION Act.

The MISSION Act is a wide-ranging piece of legislation, that when enacted, will impact virtually every facet of the VA health care system and increase access to high-quality care in VA medical facilities, in the community, and via telehealth.

It will result in a VA health care system that is stronger and better able to care for veterans and their caregivers for generations to come.

It will not result in privatization.

That said, a law as transformative as the MISSION Act doesn’t come with an instruction manual and I anticipate that there will be some stumbling blocks and struggles in the weeks and months ahead that will once again require our collective effort to overcome.

Another piece of legislation that was signed by the President last Congress was the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 – or AMA. 

Two weeks ago, the AMA went live, and it entirely revamps the way in which disability claims appeals are processed at VA and provides veterans increased choice and control in how VA handles their appeal.

I look forward to continuing to work with the VFW to ensure that these new procedures serve veterans well.

I will also continue to hold Secretary Wilkie’s feet to the fire with regard to the implementation of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 until I am confident that every veteran has been made whole and has received the benefits to which they are entitled. I will also be closely watching the implementation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, and make sure that VA is appropriately adjudicating allegations of misconduct or poor performance and treating whistleblowers with the respect and seriousness with which they are entitled. 

Last, but certainly not least, I am also committed to closely overseeing the Electronic Health Record modernization effort between the Department of Defense and VA.

Greater information technology support, generally, and improved coordination between VA and DOD, particularly, are key to VA’s future on every front.

I commend Chairman Takano for retaining the Technology Modernization Subcommittee that we established last Congress and look forward to significant work this Congress to address VA’s myriad technology needs.

We should all be extremely proud of the work that we have accomplished together the last two years.

However, as you can see, and as your written testimony states, Commander Lawrence, we still have quite a bit of work ahead of us.