Reschenthaler offers bill to authorize reports on VA patient safety, quality of care

U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) on Jan. 15 introduced a bipartisan bill that would require the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit reports to Congress on patient safety and quality of care at the medical centers run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Rep. Reschenthaler is an original cosponsor of the Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2020, H.R. 5616, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) and fellow cosponsor U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), among others, to ensure that Congress is fully informed on the policies and procedures in place across the VA. 

“I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2020, bipartisan legislation which will provide answers for the victims’ families and ensure we are doing more to protect veterans receiving care through the VA,” Rep. Reschenthaler said.

The introduction of H.R. 5616 follows several suspicious deaths of U.S. military veterans at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, W. Va.

If enacted, H.R. 5616 also would require the VA to provide Congress with a detailed report and timeline of the events that took place in Clarksburg once the investigation concludes, according to Rep. Reschenthaler’s office.

“After the tragic and senseless murders of Retired Army Sergeant Felix McDermott, a resident of southwestern Pennsylvania, and at least nine others at the Clarksburg VA medical facility, it is clear Congress needs to take action to protect our nation’s veterans,” Rep. Reschenthaler said.

“We cannot begin to understand the grief and anger of the families whose loved ones died under suspicious circumstances at the Clarksburg VA,” added Rep. McKinley. “The goal of this bill is to ensure transparency and accountability. It will also provide Congress with a better understanding of what happened in Clarksburg, and how to prevent it from ever happening again.”

The bill has been referred to the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.