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Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at the start of the Full Committee’s oversight hearing to assess Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Colllins’ plans to reorganize and restructure certain aspects of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) – including VA’s VISN map – with the goal of placing the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s veterans, their families, and their survivors first. These proposed plans by the agency would go hand-in-hand with Chairman Bost’s broader reauthorization efforts to remove bureaucratic red tape, organize processes, and push VA forward – many of the VA programs in the Committee’s reauthorization initiative, including assessing VA’s VISN structure, have not been comprehensively modernized since the 1990’s and do not currently meet the needs of veterans across the United States and its territories.

Good morning.

The Committee will come to order.

Without objection, the Chair may declare a recess at any time.

Before we begin, I want to thank my friend, Secretary Collins, for being here today. Secretary Collins, you have testified before this Committee before, and we appreciate you appearing again.

He is accompanied by the Honorable John Bartrum, Under Secretary for Health;

Mr. Mark Englebaum, Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration;

and Mr. Gregory Goins, the Acting Chief Operating Officer for the Veterans Health Administration.

This is a significant proposed reorganization of the Veterans Health Administration, and I know Members of this Committee have serious questions about how it will be implemented and how it will affect veterans and the workforce.

Because of that, I want Committee Members to have as much time as possible to engage directly with Secretary Collins.

I will therefore keep my opening statement brief and ask Members to direct their questions to the witnesses regarding the proposed reorganization.

I also want to ensure a productive hearing today, so I ask that we all be respectful of other Members and the witnesses.

Before we proceed, however, I want to ask for a clear commitment.

Secretary Collins, as this reorganization moves forward—and as additional changes occur within V.A. more broadly—will you commit to making yourself available to testify before this Committee as developments occur, not just during the annual budget submission?

Thank you, Mr. Secretary

With that, we look forward to your testimony and a productive discussion.

Ranking Member Takano, you are recognized for your opening statement.