{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-emmer-presses-for-solution-to-address-nursing-shortage-in-va-facilities", "Congressman Emmer Presses for Solution to Address Nursing Shortage in VA Facilities", "2024-04-24", "2024", "2024-04", "Republican", "House", "MN", "Tom Emmer", "E000294", "emmer.house.gov", "emmer", "https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough urging the department to adopt a common-sense solution to combat staffing shortages affecting VA facilities nationwide.\n\n\u201cTo address the shortage in nursing assistants in my district and across the United States, the VA should consider clarifying hiring practices for the nursing assistant vocation,\u201d Congressman Emmer wrote. \u201cBy leveraging the existing infrastructure in Minnesota, we can create a model that not only addresses the current staffing shortages but also serves as a potential blueprint for other regions facing similar challenges.\u201d\n\nIn the letter to Secretary McDonough, Congressman Tom Emmer voiced concern over critical nursing assistant shortages in VA clinics, citing recent estimates of shortages in 92% of VA facilities. He requested clarification on the hiring eligibility of individuals aged 16 to 18 for nursing assistant roles, highlighted the success of Minnesota's policy allowing young individuals to work in these positions, and proposed adopting a similar approach nationally to address staffing shortages in VA facilities.\n\nBackground\n\nCongressman Emmer has a long history of working to support America\u2019s veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs.\n\nEarlier this year, Congressman Emmer\u2019s office hosted a Veterans Resource Fair in Elk River. During the event, attendees had the opportunity to hear from Emmer\u2019s legislative and casework teams on current legislation and resources to support our veterans, the Sherburne County Veterans Service Office, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, and representatives from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 425.\n\nIn December, Congressman Emmer hosted a roundtable discussion with Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04), Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (IL-12) and Veteran Service Organizations. During the roundtable discussion, Emmer reaffirmed his commitment to supporting our nation\u2019s veterans and their families.\n\nCongressman Emmer visited the St. Cloud Veterans Affairs Medical Center last year. During the visit, Emmer met with hospital leaders and staff to discuss a previous bipartisan, bicameral letter he sent to Secretary McDonough urging him to improve veterans\u2019 ability to access emergency care.\n\nYou can read the full letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T20:47:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-emmer-presses-for-solution-to-address-nursing-shortage-in-va-facilities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8616573177278042, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}