WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit reports on patient safety and quality care at VA Medical Centers in light of the recent deaths of Veterans at the Clarksburg VA Medical Center. The legislation ensures that Congress, Veterans, and their families are fully informed on the policies and procedures in place across the VA nationally.
“Our veterans should always feel safe and cared for at our VA hospitals. No questions asked,” Senator Capito said. “It’s for this reason that I’ve stayed on top of this issue since day one when the news first broke. Since that day, I have remained in close contact with those involved in this investigation, such as VA Secretary Wilkie, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell, Clarksburg VA Director Glenn Snider, and VA Inspector General Michael Missal, as well as checking in with staff on the progress of the investigation. It’s important that we get more information for the families, the veterans, and the community. We need to discuss how these tragedies happened and how to prevent similar occurrences in West Virginia and VA hospitals nationwide. This legislation will help us find answers to these questions and help make sure that tragedies like this never happen again.”
“I’m proud to join Senator Capito in introducing this bipartisan bill that will increase transparency at the VA,” said Senator Manchin. “Due to the lack of information being made available to the public, Veterans across our state are having a crisis of confidence in the safety, security, and quality of their VA healthcare. This legislation will help our Veterans and their families and help restore public confidence in the VA across West Virginia and the nation. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and my fellow West Virginian, Senator Capito, to pass this commonsense legislation to ease the minds of West Virginians and their families and ensure that our Veterans are receiving the care they deserve.”