IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1025 

Expressing support for policies that maintain a robust, fully-funded and 

staffed Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs and do not jeopardize care for veterans by moving essential 

resources to the private sector. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 24, 2018 

Mr. TAKANO (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. POCAN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for policies that maintain a robust, fullyfunded and staffed Veterans Health Administration of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs and do not jeopardize care for veterans by moving essential resources 

to the private sector. 

Whereas Congress has promoted policies to improve the 

health care capabilities of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs by providing significant increases in funds to hire 

staff, build more facilities, and improve training; 

Whereas over 9,000,000 veterans are enrolled in and depend 

on the health care system of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs for all or part of their care; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 1025 IH 

Whereas the approximately 20,000,000 veterans of the 

United States are a diverse group of individuals including 

older veterans with diseases associated with aging and 

disabilities associated with past wars and younger veterans with complex conditions related to improved battlefield medical care, and as a group contain a higher percentage of seriously wounded individuals needing complex 

lifelong physical and mental health care, which differs 

greatly from the patient mix cared for by most non-VA 

providers; 

Whereas the RAND Corporation examined a decade of research and found that VA provided care is equal to or 

better quality than private sector care in all forty-seven 

quality-of-care measurements it conducted as part of an 

independent assessment comparing VA outpatient care 

with comparable civilian facilities; 

Whereas, the RAND Corporation’s Ready to Serve national 

study found that compared to non-VA mental health providers, VA mental health providers were significantly 

more likely to deliver both culturally competent care, 

which is important for engaging veterans and increasing 

access to care, as well as evidenced-based care that yields 

clinically meaningful and significant improvement of 

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and major depression; 

Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs is better 

equipped than most non-VA providers to coordinate complex veteran care and provide continuity of resources for 

veterans; 

Whereas employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

are dedicated public servants, one-third of whom are veterans themselves; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 1025 IH 

Whereas according to a bipartisan survey by Lake Research 

and Chesapeake Beach Consulting 80 percent of veterans 

polled oppose turning health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs into a system of private sector 

vouchers that may not adequately cover costs; 

Whereas millions of dollars are being spent by organizations, 

which value dismantling the Department of Veterans Affairs and outsourcing veteran care over investing in the 

Department; and 

Whereas funding has increased significantly for Choice and 

non-VA programs that pay for the costs of providing veterans private health care at the same time that the Administration is requesting less funding for medical services at the Veterans Health Administration: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports policies that provide necessary re3 sources to serve veterans by maintaining a robust 

4 Veterans Health Administration; 

5 (2) opposes policies that would jeopardize care 

6 for veterans by moving essential resources away 

7 from the Veterans Health Administration and into 

8 the private sector; and 

9 (3) supports policies that would create inte10 grated health care networks for veterans with the 

11 Veterans Health Administration, serving as the coor12 dinator and primary provider of care, and selected 

13 high-quality non-VA partners providing care when 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 1025 IH 

1 and where needed to ensure timely and convenient 

2 access for all enrolled veterans. 

Æ 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS