Fixing Veterans Health Care Taskforce More Than Willing To Meet With Secretary McDonald To Explain Reforms
Arlington, Va. – Today, Concerned Veterans for America CEO Pete Hegseth issued the following statement in response to comments made by VA Secretary Bob McDonald about CVA’s recently released Veterans Independence Act during a Senate hearing on the VA’s budget:
“It is disappointing that VA Secretary McDonald chose to misrepresent and attack CVA’s new VA reform plan, the Veterans Independence Act, in front of a Senate Committee – especially when he could not have possibly had the time to read the 100-page report which was only released an hour before his scheduled testimony.
“Contrary to Secretary McDonald’s assertions, the Veterans Independence Act does not propose dismantling the VA medical system. In fact, one of our key principles for reform was to preserve the Veterans Health Administration. It is also ironic that Secretary McDonald accused us of advocating for ‘contracting out’ the VA’s mission to care for veterans when the VA under Secretary McDonald has accelerated plans to contract out more VHA medical services to private providers through the Patient-Centered Community Care Program.
“However, despite our disappointment with Secretary McDonald’s statements in regards to the Veterans Independence Act, we were encouraged by other remarks he made. First, Secretary McDonald stated that he is committed to the Veteran Choice Card program and that he is ‘frustrated’ by the problems that have emerged with the program. We hope this means that he will work to remove some of the absurd restrictions that the VA has placed on the Veteran Choice Card and that he will rethink his plans to transfer money from the program to the VA’s traditional health care system. Secondly, we were happy to hear that the Secretary is willing to meet with CVA to discuss our proposals for VA reform. We look forward to hearing from his office to schedule a meeting; they know where to reach us.”
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Concerned Veterans for America is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for policies that will preserve the freedom and liberty we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.