00:00Thank you, Ranking Member, and thank you all for being here today, Ms. Therritt, Mr. Perry, Mr. Steele, Dr. Elliott, I know you all took time out of your busy schedules, and I appreciate that I'm sure you were prepared to discuss the real issues at the VA, including the title of our subcommittee, which, just as a reminder, was Counting the Money, Preventing Fraud and Abuse in the VA's Bonus Payment Practices for VA Employees.
00:22I appreciate your insight on the issue that why we called this hearing today. As a Navy veteran and a nurse practitioner, I know how critical it is for the VA to provide consistent, high-quality care to those who have served. I'm married to a veteran. I'm the mom to future veterans. I represent tens of thousands of veterans. My own parents are veterans, so it is an issue near and dear to my heart and to my district.
00:45I'm encouraged that the VA has decided against large-scale layoffs and is instead taking a more thoughtful and measured approach to improving operations.
00:54I also worked at the VA for several years or for several months as a nurse practitioner. It was a short time because I'm a geriatric nurse practitioner and couldn't utilize my geriatric skill base as much as I wanted to.
01:05But I remember that there were a lot of really good people doing really hard work, the physicians, the doctors and nurses, the pharmacists, the allied health professionals, the people who were in one building taking care of people who walked through our front door.
01:19I also remember on my lunch break, I would take walks and see buildings full of other people that didn't provide patient care.
01:25I didn't know what they did, but I knew where I was called to work and where I was able to touch patients and to impact lives of veterans.
01:33So I think there is room, just as this was before my time in politics, just looking at what that facility looked like, knowing that there was room to probably downscale.
01:42I want to make sure that our best resources are going to the patient care.
01:47Reducing 30,000 positions through attrition rather than eliminating clinical roles is a more reasonable path forward.
01:53And I know that's what the secretary is focused on doing.
01:56I support efforts to streamline the department and I give more decision making authority to local medical center directors who are closest to the veterans they serve.
02:04Decentralizing operations can help VA facilities respond more quickly to local needs and improve overall outcomes for patients.
02:11At the same time, I'm closely monitoring how these changes may impact support staff who play a critical role in ensuring providers can focus on delivering care.
02:19I believe restructuring can be positive, but only if it's done transparently, with input from frontline workers and full oversight from Congress.
02:27The lack of clarity around some of the VA's reorganization efforts is concerning, and I will continue to push for more communication and accountability.
02:34Congress must be a partner in the process, not an afterthought.
02:37And the VA leadership must work collaboratively to keep veterans and employees informed.
02:42I will continue advocating for investments in VA services that prioritize patient care, benefits, delivery, and support for the dedicated workforce.
02:51Ultimately, this is not a partisan issue.
02:54This is about keeping our promises to those who've worn the uniform.
02:57Veterans deserve a VA that serves them efficiently, compassionately, and without disruption.
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