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Washington, DC– Congressman Brett Guthrie today voted in support of H.R. 4810, the Veterans Access to Care Act, legislation to address the recent revelations of secret wait lists, falsified records, and potentially other wrongdoing.

“This bill offers solutions to provide immediate assistance to veterans waiting for care,” said Congressman Guthrie, a cosponsor of the bill. “The systemic problems at VA facilities across the country are serious and will take some time to fix, but this bill provides immediate remedies for those needing care.”

An internal audit revealed that more than 57,000 veterans across the country waited at least 90 days for an initial appointment at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics.

H.R. 4810 will require the VA to offer non-VA care options, at the department’s expense, to any enrolled veteran who is unable to get an appointment within the current wait time goal of 14 days, or who lives more than 40 miles away from a VA medical facility.

“The audit by the Administration confirms that this bill is necessary and I believe that if signed into law, these reforms will help provide care to more veterans, and at a quicker pace,” said Congressman Guthrie.

H.R. 4810 also reaffirms previously-passed legislation that will prevents bonuses from being awarded to VA employees from FY 2014 to FY 2016, and require the VA to submit quarterly reports to Congress.

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