Aumua Part of VA Bill Floor Debate

Fa'asamoa

Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata, For the hotly contested floor debate yesterday on H.R. 1994, the VA Accountability Act, which split Members largely along party lines, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL), who managed the debate for the Majority, selected Amata as one of only eight speakers to speak in support of the measure during the half-hour allotted to the majority side. When the smoke cleared, the GOP had prevailed with the passage of the bill by a vote of 256 – 170, including a number of Democrats joining the winning side. The measure will now move to the Senate for consideration.

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"For too long, our veterans, including the large number I represent in American Samoa, have been subjected to improper treatment, long wait times and other serious matters that have yet to be addressed, said Amata. "This common sense legislation, of which I am proud to be a cosponsor, will enable the VA to hold those who do not perform their duties accountable, which will surely lead to better services for our veterans. No longer should our veterans come second to lifelong bureaucrats who have gamed the system while our veterans have suffered," stated Amata.

The push for greater accountability measures began last year after egregious actions by VA employees were discovered, including falsifying wait times for veterans waiting to see a physician, which resulted in several deaths at the VA facility in Phoenix, which Amata visited in May to see what improvements had been made. Yet only two people have been held accountable so far, verifying the need for reform. Further strengthening the case for real reform is the mismanagement of several high-profile VA construction projects that have cost the American taxpayer billions of dollars in just the past few years.

"I applaud my colleagues for stepping up today to address the troubling lack of accountability eroding VA's ability to care for our veterans. The VA Accountability Act will provide the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs the ability to make real reforms and bring much needed accountability to the department. Today, we stand with our veterans because the status quo has failed them and the American people for far too long," stated House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller.

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Auai Aumua Amata i Fa'afinauga o le Pili a Vetereni

Sa filifilia le afioga i le Faipule o le Konekeresi le Tofa a Aumua Amata e le Ta'ita'ikomiti o le Komiti a le Maota o Sui mo Mataupu tau Fitafita Tuai (Vetereni) o Jeff Miller sa fa'afoeina le felafolafoaiga mo le vaega o lo'o Fulisia i ai le Maota , o se tasi o i latou na'o le to'avalu sa saunoa e lagolagoina le tulafono i se felafolafoaiga fita i le aso ananafi e fa'atatau i le Iugafono o le 1994 e fa'atatau I Vetereni (H.R. 1994, VA Accountability Act,) sa vaeluaina ai Faipule i vaega fa'aupufai i le afa itula sa maua e le vaega fulisia o le Maota. Ina ua tuana'i felafolafoaiga, sa manumalo Ripapulikana ina ua pasia le pili e ala i le palota e 256 sa lagolagoina a e 170 sa tete'e, e aofia ai ma sui o le Vaega a le Temokarasi sa aufa'atasi ma le Ripapulikana. Ua auina atu nei le pili I le Senate mo sa latou iloiloga.

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O le afioga a Aumua Amata ma le Ta'ita'ikomiti o Jeff Miller i le palota o le

Iugafono a le Maota o Sui 1994 a le Vetereni.

Saunoa Amata, "Ua fai si umi e le o talafeagai le tautuaina o a tatou fitafita tuai (vetereni), e aofia ma le vaega tele lea i Amerika Samoa out e sui mai ai, o le fiu e fa'atali i laina ma isi mataupu ogaoga e le'i tagofiaina. O le tulafono lenei , e fiafia lava e fa'ailoa atu o a'u o se tasi o lo'o fa'auluina, o le a mafia ai e le VA ona aga'i tonu lava iai latou e le o fa'atinoina o latou tiute, ma o le upu moni o le a i'u ai ina fa'aleleia la latou tautua mo nai a tatou fitafita tuai. O le a avea lea ma mea o le a le toe fa'atauagavale ai i nai vetereni a e fa'amuamua le aumaualuluga ua fa'ata'aloga i vai a e selefutia ai nai fitafita tuai.

O le taumafaiga lenei ina ia folasia i lumamea ma manino lelei galuega na amata i le tausaga ua mavae ina ua alia'e gaoioiga le manuia a tagata e faigaluega i le VA, e aofia ai le fa'asese o taimi e fa'atali ai fitafita tuai e vaai foma'i, ma i'u ai ina maliliu nisi i le nofoaga o le VA i Phoenix, lea sa asiasi i ai Amata ia Me e vaai po o fa'aleleia nisi o mea sa fa'aletonu. A e ui i lea e na'o le to'alua tagata ua maua, sa fa'amaoni ai le mana'omia o le toefuata'iina. Ua atili ai ona fa'amalosia lenei mataupu mo se toefuata'ina moni le fa'aletonu o le faiga o galuega tetele tau le fausia o fale o le VA sa alu ai le piliona ma piliona tupe a le ‘autotogi lafoga a Amerika i nai tausaga ua mavae atu.

Saunoa le Ta'ita'ikomiti o Jeff Miller, "Out e avatu le fa'amalo i o'u uso a faipule ona o le tula'i mai i le aso e saili le vaifofo i lenei fa'afitauli o le le fa'atuatuaina ua avea ma pogai o le tomai o le VA e tautua nai o tatou vetereni. O le a avea lenei Tulafono (VA Accountability Act ) e maua ai e le Failautusi mo Mataupu tau Vetereni le malosiaga e fai ai suiga toe fuata'i ma ia maopoopo ma manino le faiga o galuega a le matagaluega. O le aso, ua tatou tutu fa'atasi ma o tatou vetereni e foia fa'aletonu o le taimi nei ia maua ai se mapusaga a nai o tatou fitafita tuai ua fai si umi o amo lenei pologa."