Press Releases

Today, Congressman Kennedy, during a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing, demanded answers from officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the alleged administrative failures at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. 

(Congressman Kennedy during the committee hearing. View here.)

During the hearing, Congressman Kennedy got answers from the Honorable Michael Missal, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, on the timeline for the final Office of the Inspector General report on the leadership dismissals. 

He also secured a visit to the Buffalo VA Medical Center with Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in which Under Secretary Elnahal said, “I just wanted to let you know that my personal attention is on making sure that things improve and improve fast at the Buffalo VA. It's what the veterans in your district and around the Buffalo area deserve.”

Kennedy concluded by highlighting the need for a new VA hospital in Buffalo to adequately serve the region’s veterans and secured Under Secretary Elnahal’s commitment to work with him to do so, who said, “We've requested in multiple budgets substantially more major and minor construction funding. I look forward to visiting the Buffalo VA with you in the coming weeks to witness myself what the condition of the infrastructure is. But the fact that the average medical centers age of plant is over sixty years—I haven't seen any other health system with infrastructure that old and so we need to invest in it. I've already contacted our construction and facilities management team and our team that works on infrastructure will work with you to get it on the priority list to make sure that we address it.”

(Ranking Member Takano speaking about the experience Congressman Kennedy brings to his assigned subcommittees. Download Mp4 here.)

In addition, the committee held a business meeting to assign Congressman Kennedy to the subcommittees on Technology Modernization and Oversight and Investigations, during which Ranking Member on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Mark Takano said: 

“I'd like to take a moment to welcome the committee's newest member, Representative Timothy M . Kennedy from New York State. Veterans’ Affairs is the perfect committee fit for Representative Kennedy. Outside of being an elected official, he is an occupational therapist and has been working for years to expand care options for people with spinal cord injuries or a debilitating stroke. As a State Senator in New York, Representative Kennedy secured over $1 million in state funding for a local clinic to renovate their space and purchase state of the art physical and occupational therapy equipment. Representative Kennedy has already hit the ground running, having visited the Buffalo VA Medical Center with my staff last month to meet with staff and acting leadership. Representative Kennedy, we are excited to have your background and perspective as an occupational therapist on our committee. You will be joining our Technology Modernization and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittees. Welcome, and I yield back, Mr. Chairman.”

Additional Information: 

On August 20, key healthcare administrators were relieved of their veteran-facing posts at the Buffalo VA Medical Center amid allegations of delayed care, misconduct, and administrative failures. To view Congressman Kennedy’s statement, click here. 

The following week, Congressman Kennedy met with VA Buffalo Medical Center Acting Director and interim leadership staff to address alleged administrative failures, including delayed oncology referrals, and to discuss how the VA will ensure corrective action is taken to prevent anything but the highest quality care being delivered to veterans. 

Earlier this week, Congressman Kennedy spoke with Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, to discuss the leadership removal at the VA Buffalo Medical Center, the forthcoming OIG report, and his visit to the VA. 

This week, Congressman Kennedy released a statement condemning the Republicans’ proposed continuing resolution, which fails to provide adequate funding for veterans. To view the statement, click here. 

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