Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Congressman Jeff Miller Conduct Dallas VA Medical Center Oversight Visit

Congresswoman Johnson and Chairman Miller address the press after their oversight visit

Dallas, TX – (Friday, August 30, 2013) – Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30) and Congressman Jeff Miller (FL-01), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, conducted a congressional oversight visit to the Dallas VA Medical Center. The visit is a result of a series of allegations from VA workers, patients and family members regarding poor patient care, and compliance complaints against the VA in the last three years.  

During Chairman Miller and Congresswoman Johnson’s visit, they attended an executive briefing to discuss consecutive Inspector General reports of non-compliance, operational procedures, and results of a facility investigation and inspection by the VA central office.  

"While improvements have been made we are not satisfied with the conditions in this hospital," said Congresswoman Johnson. "We want this facility to care for people as much as they care for the professional staff that work here. The people that you serve are veterans, and they deserve the very best treatment as possible. We want that to become a reality."

Congresswoman Johnson continued, "There has been a substantial number of patients that have come to our office regarding treatment they have received  at the VA. What is happening at the VA is unacceptable and it is must stop.  There must be a strong effort to improve conditions at the VA."

On Sept. 9 , the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will examine the Dallas VAMC and a number of other VA facilities during a hearing entitled “A Matter of Life and Death: Examining Preventable Deaths, Patient-Safety Issues and Bonuses for VA Execs Who Oversaw Them.”

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  U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a Ranking member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Kessler Park, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, South Dallas & South Oak Cliff; all of Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Ferris, Glenn Heights, South Grand Prairie, Oak Lawn, Ovilla, Uptown/Victory Park and West Dallas.