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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In recent weeks, it has become known that the
3United States Department of Veterans Affairs' Phoenix Veterans
4Affairs Health Care System had a secret wait list of up to
51,600 veterans waiting to receive an appointment for care at
6that facility; and
 
7    WHEREAS, As a result of the delay in care, at least 40
8United States veterans have died while waiting for appointments
9at the Phoenix facility; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Since the revelation of the delay of care in
11Phoenix, the number of Veterans Affairs' facilities under
12investigation has expanded to 26 around the country; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to the Edward Hines,
14Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital, which provides health
15care services to veterans in the Chicagoland area; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Federal auditors have visited Hines Hospital in
17recent days amid allegations that patients at Hines Hospital
18were kept on secret wait lists in order for executives to
19collect bonuses linked to meeting standards for speedy
20treatment; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, President Obama has vowed to fix whatever is wrong
2at the Department of Veterans Affairs and promised to hold
3those involved accountable; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Congress has the appropriate role to provide
5oversight to federal agencies throughout the federal
6government and enact legislation to ensure all veterans at VA
7hospitals are provided with health care in a timely manner;
8therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11we urge the Obama administration and the Congress of the United
12States to come to a quick resolution to the scandal within the
13Veterans Administration to ensure that every veteran is
14afforded the health care they so rightly deserve; and be it
15further
 
16    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
17delivered to the President of the United States, the Speaker
18and Minority Leader of the United States House of
19Representatives, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the
20United States Senate, and the members of the Illinois
21congressional delegation.