AURORA | Aurora’s 6th Congressional District incumbent Mike Coffman continues to blame the “bureaucratic incompetence” and “culture of corruption” for problems at the Veterans Health Administration.
Coffman, R-Colo. said at a House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs conference committee meeting in Washington D.C. on Tuesday that leadership at the VA Health Administration never identified its dangerous practices and have continued to ignore the warnings of whistleblowers.
“If there is not adequate leadership in department, we will fundamentally not change it,” Coffman told the committee. “Somebody has to get in there as the new executive director for this agency, and clean at the top.”
The hearing was held to discuss House Bill 3230, the Veterans Access to Care Act. The bill would give veterans easier access to non-VA health care. The bill has come under scrutiny from the Congressional Budget Office for some of its provisions.
The CBO estimates the cost of requiring the VA to provide non-VA medical care to any enrolled veteran who can’t get to a VA medical appointment within 30 days, or who lives 40 miles or more from a VA medical facility (two provisions of the bill), would cost the VA $54 billion annually to implement.
Coffman expects the bill to be heard in the House next week.
— Rachel Sapin, Staff writer