{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://titus.house.gov//press-releases/titus-calls-on-congressional-leadership-to-protect-america-s-veterans", "Titus Calls on Congressional Leadership to Protect Americas Veterans", "2014-07-25", "2014", "2014-07", "Democrat", "House", "NV", "Dina Titus", "T000468", "titus.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "July 25, 2014\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada\u2019s First District joined her colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Boehner and Senator Reid urging them to keep Congress in session through the scheduled August recess until a compromise between the Senate and House versions of the Veterans\u2019 Access to Care Act is agreed to and signed into law. A swift resolution is critical to ensuring the VA has the necessary resources to increase veterans\u2019 access to care and implement much needed accountability measures. Titus is the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.\u00a0\n\u201cWe can never fully repay our veterans for their service or their families for the sacrifices they have made, but we can at the very least work a few extra days to ensure that they receive the benefits they are owed in a timely fashion,\u201d said Titus. \u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe text of the letter is below:\nJuly 25, 2014  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tDear Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Boehner,\nWe, the undersigned Members of Congress, urge you to not let the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives go out of session prior to a successful resolution to the Conference Committee that was formed to work out a compromise between the Senate and House versions of the Veterans\u2019 Access to Care Act, and its subsequent passage in both chambers of Congress.\nThe health of the veterans who have served us so bravely should not be placed on the back burner while Congress is away during the August district work period. Our veterans have served the nation with honor, and we owe it to them to waste no more time in ensuring they have access to the best health care possible. In light of recent serious complications and allegations of wrong-doing within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in addition to validated long wait times at VA medical facilities, it is extremely urgent that a fix be put into place as soon as possible.\nBoth the Senate and House versions would expand veterans\u2019 ability to seek care at non-VA facilities under certain conditions, strengthen Congress\u2019 oversight of the VA and eliminate performance-related bonuses for VA employees. We need to address the overwhelmed VA and ensure all veterans get the care they have earned through their service to our country. Our veterans deserve nothing but the very best.\nAgain, this issue is far too serious to wait, and we encourage a swift resolution to be found by remaining in session until a suitable compromise bill can be passed out of both chambers. Let\u2019s put our nations\u2019 veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, first.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tSincerely,\nDina Titus  \n\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://titus.house.gov//press-releases/titus-calls-on-congressional-leadership-to-protect-america-s-veterans"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9494367986917496, "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"}