At first glance, the ongoing scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs appears to be that rare bipartisan moment. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have fallen over each other to exclaim just how upset they are and how much they value the men and women who served in uniform. But for most of them, their strong words haven’t translated into strong actions in support of veterans.
That’s why Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman deserves special praise. He identified and tried to fix the problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs well before it became politically popular. He was one of the original co-sponsors of the VA Management Accountability Act, legislation that served as a blueprint for the historic VA reform bill President Obama signed into law last month that empowers the VA secretary to fire failing VA executives and gives veterans a choice to seek private healthcare if they live too far from a VA facility or cannot receive timely care at a VA facility.
His work is particularly important to the more than 390,000 veterans who call Colorado home. Right now, veterans in the state wait an average of 421 days for the VA to process their disability claims. The average new patient at the Grand Junction VA waits nearly 40 days to receive care. At the Denver VA, they wait an average of 45 days.
These problems were present and persistent long before the current scandal made national headlines in April. As recently as December, the backlog for disability claims was as high as 700,000, with over half a million veterans waiting more than 125 days for the bureaucracy to process their paperwork. Some veterans waited years.
Rep. Coffman has been working to reform the dysfunctional VA. As a member of the House’s Committee on Veterans Affairs, he has held and participated in many hearings that focused on the VA’s failure to give veterans the care we need. This leadership was on display from the moment the VA scandal broke in April. Rep. Coffman promptly held congressional hearings to get to the bottom of the crisis. Within a week, he called for the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki—one of the first politicians in Washington to do so.
He also helped craft the Veterans Access to Care Act, which would give veterans access to private health care facilities. This bill would help get veterans out of the failing VA system. Few things are as important considering that veterans are dying while on VA waiting lists.
In light of his actions in support of veterans, Concerned Veterans for America publicly thanked Rep. Coffman for his actions in a television ad that aired last month.
His peers and coworkers in Washington could take a page from his book. Since the VA scandal became the story of the summer, many politicians have done little more than issue press releases, make a few television appearances, and then use that material in their next fundraising email. They’ve feigned outrage but done nothing, while veterans languish and perish on the VA’s waiting lists.
But veterans remember who our friends are. If military service teaches you anything, it’s the importance of looking out for those who have your back. Rep. Coffman likely learned that lesson himself during his time in the military—he’s been there for us since before the VA scandal broke. Would that the rest of Washington would follow his example.
Amanda Moore of Fort Collins is a Marine Corps veteran who served with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons 39 and 36 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
