U.S. Rep. David Jolly took his campaign for the Senate on the road Monday.
Speaking with Boston Herald Radio, the Clearwater Republican urged members of Congress to get behind his so-called “Freedom Card” legislation to ease the path of military veterans seeking care from the Department of Veterans Affairs which has been beset by widespread reports of long wait times and dysfunction across the nation.
Jolly responded to a recent remark by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who reportedly said problems with veterans’ health care were “not as widespread as it has been made out to be.”
“If Hillary thinks this is not a real problem, she’s spending too much time on her emails,” Jolly said of Clinton, who is the Democratic front-runner for the White House in 2016.
“I ask this question of all our presidential candidates: Are you willing to empower the veteran over the bureaucracy? Because that’s what it will take to truly fix a broken system,” Jolly said.
The issue figures to be a key one for Jolly, who in addition to filing legislation to expand veterans’ choices when it comes to where they receive their VA benefits penned an op-ed last week in The Washington Times where he wrote that VA negligence was as much a threat to U.S. soldiers as those behind the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“It’s inexcusable and dishonors the service of every man and woman who has defended our freedom and security,” wrote Jolly.
Jolly’s “Freedom Card” plan would remove regional and provider restrictions on where veterans can access care, allowing them to use federal benefits to access private care.
“This bill will finally empower all veterans with the ability to choose where they receive their health care services, protect veterans from being forced to remain in a VA health system that at times has failed them, and inject competition into the VHA (Veterans Health Administration),” said Jolly unveiling his plan, H.R. 3183 or the “Veterans Health Care Freedom Act,” during the summer.
