Kuster Calls for Plan to Improve Care for Veterans

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, participated in a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, where she pushed VA officials to outline their plan to address a $2.7 billion budget shortfall and improve access to health care for veterans in New Hampshire and around the country, according to a press statement.

During the hearing, Kuster focused on the VA’s budget for fiscal year 2015, and asked officials about the Department’s priorities moving forward.

“As the VA struggles to address a massive $2.7 billion budget shortfall, access to quality health care for our veterans must remain the top priority. The lack of oversight and transparency at the Department is completely unacceptable, and this afternoon I pushed VA officials to detail their plans moving forward to ensure the needs of our veterans are met and services are not interrupted,” said Kuster. “Demand for services is rising across the country, and as the VA continues to implement the Veterans Choice Card program to address it, the Department must administer its budget responsibly and efficiently. As an advocate for saving taxpayer dollars, I urged VA officials to discuss their long-term strategy for combatting cost overruns and mismanagement, and I will closely monitor the VA’s progress moving forward.”

The VA reported last week that the Department had a $2.7 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2015, which ends onSeptember 30, 2015. Deputy VA Secretary Sloan Gibson said that the shortfall is a result of rising demand for health care services at VA medical centers and clinics across the country. However, numerous reports of irresponsible spending at the VA have arisen over the last few months, including a $1.73 billion VA construction project in Denver that has encountered enormous cost overruns. Congresswoman Kuster recently helped oversee several hearings in the VA Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to investigate inefficient and potentially fraudulent procurement policies.

A member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee since taking office, Kuster helped lead the investigation into mismanagement scandals at the VA last year, and is currently the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. This role allows the Congresswoman to continue to put additional pressure on the VA to improve access and quality of care, and to cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse. During today’s hearing, Kuster questioned VA officials about how to bring down costs while continuing to improve access to high quality care for veterans across the country.