WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement on Senate passage of the VA health care bill:

The VA health care bill that passed today is a good first step towards cracking down on fraud at the VA and reducing excessive and unacceptable wait times for veterans. This legislation will help get veterans the treatment they need and deserve by allowing them the flexibility to receive outside medical care when the VA is unable to provide prompt treatment, and giving the VA the tools to crack down on department officials who perpetuate and encourage fraud. I’m especially pleased that this compromise provides new funding to Connecticut’s Errera Community Care Center in West Haven – something I’ve pushed for years. This center has had its hands tied because it hasn’t received adequate federal funding in the past. But with this new funding, it will be able to better serve Connecticut’s veterans and get them the medical attention they need.

While Senate passage puts the VA on the right path, more needs to be done. It’s my hope that the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs will focus time and resources on two outstanding veterans issues that persist in Connecticut: the VA backlog and veterans homelessness. I’ll keep pushing the VA to addresses these issues and urge my colleagues to do the same.