Congressman Smith Votes for More VA Reforms

I released the following statement after voting this past week in favor of H.R. 2029, the FY2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill:

This bill is yet another opportunity for us to reform a troubled agency system and direct the VA to prioritize an overwhelming backlog of disability claims. Our veterans deserve the best health care, not delayed care.

This bill also allows us to improve and streamline the process for building military facilities and ensuring our men and women in uniform have the resources they need. I am glad that the House Appropriations Committee made the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill the first appropriations bill the House voted on. Our men and women who serve our nation faithfully should remain our top priority.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and Military Construction Projects appropriations bill funds quality housing and facility renovation for military personnel and their families and ensures that we meet the growing health needs of veterans. The legislation also calls for modernization of the VA’s electronic health record system by tying funding to its ability to demonstrate progress on the system’s functionality and interoperability.