Good
for
Veterans.
Good
for
the
VA.
Last
week,
I
introduced
two
key
bills
to
support
our
Veterans
and
help
reform
the
Department
of
Veterans’
Affairs
(VA).
First,
the
VET
CARE
Act
(H.R.
1749)
will
get
the
ball
rolling
to
expand
access
to
dental
care
for
our
nation’s
heroes
by
implementing
a
four-year
pilot
program.
Right
now,
dental
care
through
the
VA
is
limited
to
those
who
are
100%
disabled
or
have
a
direct
service
connected
injury.
Our
Veterans
have
sacrificed
so
much
on
behalf
of
our
country,
they
deserve
access
to
high
quality
health
care,
and
that
includes
dental
care.
Additionally,
this
bill
could
result
in
lower
overall
health
care
costs
for
the
VA.
Studies
have
shown
that
regular
dental
care
helps
alleviate
some
chronic
conditions.
Since
the
VA,
spends
most
of
its
health
care
costs
on
treating
Veterans
with
chronic
ailments,
like
diabetes,
heart
conditions,
and
more,
dental
coverage
would
help
ensure
a
healthier
Veteran
population
and
bring
the
VA’s
costs
down.
Not
only
is
the
VET
CARE
Act
good
for
Veterans,
it
is
good
for
the
VA
as
a
whole.
I
also
introduced
the
VA
GORDIAN
KNOT
Act
(H.R.
1771)
to
help
untangle
some
of
the
VA’s
core
issues
and
improve
its
service
to
Veterans.
In
Greek
mythology,
the
Gordian
knot
represents
a
complex
problem
that
requires
out-of-the-box
thinking
to
solve.
The
VA’s
Gordian
knot
is
its
frequent
manipulation
of
key
data
and
lack
of
accountability.
Over
the
years,
the
VA
has
been
known
to
yield
less
than
truthful
data
when
it
comes
to
collecting
and
reporting
information
about
patient
care,
appointment
wait-times,
and
employee
hiring
and
firing
practices.
This
behavior
is
an
erosion
of
public
trust,
and
makes
it
difficult
to
properly
address
the
VA’s
shortcomings
and
enhance
its
successes.
The
VA
GORDIAN
KNOT
Act
tackles
the
issue
head
on
by
requiring
the
VA
to
standardize
their
data
recording
mechanism,
publish
the
average
wait
times
for
each
medical
facility,
and
streamline
the
agency’s
organizational
structure.
I
believe
this
bill
is
absolutely
necessary
to
reform
the
agency
and
assist
the
VA
in
its
mission
to
care
for
Veterans.
Harnessing
Today’s
Technology
for
Self-Driving
Cars
Tomorrow
While
consumers
are
still
years
away
from
getting
their
hands
on
fully
automated
cars,
we
can
harness
technology
being
used
today
to
make
self-driving
cars
safer
in
the
future.
The
House
Energy
and
Commerce
Committee,
of
which
I
am
a
member,
held
a
hearing
this
week
on
how
some
driver
assistance
technologies
currently
available,
like
blind
spot
detection
and
lane
departure
warning,
are
paving
the
way
for
complete
vehicle
autonomy.
Specifically,
I
questioned
officials
about
how
the
technology
of
self-driving
cars
could
help
elderly
and
disabled
individuals
in
the
Tampa
Bay
area. Click
here
or
on
the
image
below
for
video
of
the
hearing.
Self-driving
cars
also
have
the
potential
to
make
vehicles
safer
and
reduce
the
number
of
deaths
on
the
road.
I
look
forward
to
our
work
on
the
committee
as
we
continue
examining
this
innovative
and
transformative
technology.
The
Future
of
Emergency
Response
&
Calling
911
If
you
see
a
crime
or
emergency
occurring
in
real
time
on
social
media,
how
do
you
report
it?
How
can
we
ensure
blind,
deaf,
and
disabled
individuals
can
easily
and
reliably
call
911?
Those
are
the
questions
we
examined
at
a
committee
hearing
on
the
nation’s
transition
to
“Next
Generation”
911
services.
We
all
have
smartphones
in
our
pockets
capable
of
voice,
text,
video,
and
data
services
that
could
redefine
911
calls
and
how
we
communicate
with
first
responders.
Click
here
or
on
the
image
above
for
video
of
my
questioning.
Traditional
911
involves
a
voice
call
made
to
a
dispatch
center,
but
soon
those
lifesaving
calls
could
also
take
the
form
of
text,
video,
or
data
transfer
known
as
Next
Generation
911.
Currently,
there
is
an
uneven
patchwork
across
state
and
local
governments
implementing
these
technologies.
Our
hearing
focused
on
modernizing
911
systems
nationwide
to
strengthen
public
safety
and
emergency
response
measures.
2017
Congressional
Art
Competition
Open
for
Entries

My
office
is
now
accepting
entries
for
this
year’s
Congressional
Art
Competition,
an
annual
event
for
local
high
school
students
to
showcase
their
artistic
talents
on
the
national
stage.
The
overall
winner
from
Florida’s
12th
District
will
have
their
art
displayed
in
the
U.S.
Capitol
for
one
year,
and
they
will
receive
complimentary
roundtrip
airfare
for
two
to
Washington,
D.C.
to
attend
an
awards
ceremony
with
winners
from
around
the
country.
I
encourage
all
high
school
artists
from
Florida’s
12th
district
in
Pasco,
Pinellas,
and
Hillsborough
counties
to
enter
their
best
work.
I
look
forward
to
welcoming
one
lucky
winner
to
the
nation’s
capital
to
be
recognized
among
the
best
student
artists
in
the
nation.
Good
luck
to
all
our
local
young
artists! Click
here
for
submission
details
and
additional
information.
Snapshots
from
the
Nation’s
Capital
Over
30
AIPAC
members
from
Florida
stopped
by
my
office
last
week
for
a
meeting
on
strengthening
the
U.S.-Israel
relationship.
Great
meeting
with
Dr.
Diaz
with
Florida
Cancer
Specialists
who
shared
his
insight
on
making
health
care
accessible
and
affordable,
especially
for
those
battling
cancer.
On
this
week’s
Discuss
with
Gus:
NIH
funding,
President
Trump’s
picture
in
VA
hospitals,
and
tax
reform.
Click
here
or
on
the
image
to
watch
my
weekly
video
segment.
Thank
you
for
reading
this
week’s
update. Remember,
you
can
always
stay
in
touch
with
me
via email, Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram. |