Chairman Roe, Ranking Member Walz Name Lawmakers to New Subcommittee on Technology Modernization

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs approved the creation and leadership of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.

The subcommittee was announced by Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Walz (D-Minn.) on June 20 and will focus on oversight of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) technology projects, specifically the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Modernization program.

“As the department embarks on the nation’s largest EHR overhaul, it is critical that we ensure veterans and taxpayers are protected throughout the transition,” said full committee Chairman Roe. “I have personally gone through a transition to a new health record system when I was in private practice and I know how much potential there is for a project like this to be a costly disruption. Congress has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight every step of the way. I am thrilled to announce that Rep. Jim Banks will chair this subcommittee and he will be joined by subcommittee Ranking Member Conor Lamb, Reps. Jack Bergman, Mike Coffman, and Scott Peters. These members have been tireless advocates for veterans, and I know they will do right by both veterans and taxpayers. I look forward to seeing the great bipartisan oversight work that will be done through this important subcommittee.”

“For millions of veterans across the country, their first interaction with VA will be the simple act of booking an appointment. Unfortunately, even something as straight forward as that can be a struggle due to VA’s antiquated information technology systems,” said full committee Ranking Member Walz. “To guarantee the future success of VA’s core mission, it is necessary for VA to get IT modernization done right the first time. That is why I am proud to announce the creation of our new Subcommittee on Technology Modernization. With this new Subcommittee, Congress will be better suited to hold VA accountable every step of the way and ensure IT modernization is implemented as seamlessly as possible. I have complete faith in the Subcommittee’s new leaders, Ranking Member Conor Lamb and Chairman Jim Banks, and look forward to working with them on a bipartisan basis.

“It is an honor to be appointed chairman of the subcommittee by Dr. Roe and I look forward to serving our country’s veterans in this capacity, said Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Chairman Jim Banks (R-Ind.). “Service members and veterans deserve a seamless, lifetime medical record and an electronic health record system that supports the highest quality care. The goal is worthy and the strategy incorporates years of recommendations by technical experts, most recently the Commission on Care. However, I have no illusions about the challenge confronting VA in this monumental undertaking. I am committed to asking the tough questions and challenging the bureaucratic status quo. Veterans and taxpayers expect nothing less.”

“Caring for our nation’s veterans must be our top priority as we work to create a more efficient and effective healthcare system at the VA," said Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Ranking Member Conor Lamb (D-Pa). "As a veteran, I am honored to have been appointed ranking member of this Subcommittee, and am committed to ensuring that the work to modernize the VA is done in a way that protects and empowers our veterans, not only in Southwestern Pennsylvania, but across the country.” 

“I’m honored that Chairman Roe has asked me to serve on the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization," said Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.). "Having served in the Marine Corps for over 40 years, I’ve experienced firsthand the complexities associated with transferring information between VA and DoD, and even between the branches of the military. I understand the difficulty of implementing strategic change in large, complicated organizations, and I look forward to contributing to the subcommittee as we work to ensure our nation’s veterans and military receive the care they deserve.”

“As a Marine Corps combat veteran, it is an honor to join the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization,” said Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.). “The seamless transfer of electronic health records (EHR) between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs is long overdue. We have an obligation to ensure our veterans have consistent, quality care. A unified EHR is vital to this mission.”

“San Diego has one of the largest populations of veterans in the country, who will benefit from health data shared between the DoD, VA, and community partners," said Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). "As members of this new subcommittee, we can devote more attention to improving our veterans’ health care system. Our heroes earned quality and timely care through their service and we should have their backs by ensuring their records are easily accessible to medical professionals across the country. I look forward to bipartisan collaboration and oversight during the transition to electronic health records.”

Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Members: 

• Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Chairman
• Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), Ranking Member
• Rep. Jack Bergman, (R-Mich.)
• Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.)
• Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.)