White House working closely with Sen. Sanders on VA bill

The Hill ?@thehill 48m
White House working closely with Sen. Sanders on VA bill, official says http://j.mp/1pNaVc5 by @JTSTheHill

The White House is working closely with Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on a new bill to tackle mismanagement at the Department of Veterans Affairs, an administration official said Monday.

The legislation would allow veterans facing extended delays at veterans facilities to seek care with private healthcare providers, according to an outline released by the senator over the weekend.

The bill would also provide emergency funding to hire additional doctors and nurses to work at the VA, and look to promote employment there through scholarships and loan-forgiveness programs.

The Vermont lawmaker is expected to introduce the legislation sometime this week.

"As we have said, we share the goals of the legislation that passed the House, and we have worked closely with Chairman Sanders to move legislation forward while addressing some technical issues with the House-passed version," a White House official said Monday. "We hope Congress can finish its work on a bill that addresses accountability and makes important reforms and will continue to work closely with them to get that done."


read: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/207964-white-house-working-closely-with-sen-sanders-on-va-bill