“You deserve great care. Great care. Not average care.”
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) questioned the Commander-in-Chief, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., Duane Sarmiento, and his colleagues on whether veteran service organizations support the use of Department of Veterans Affairs resources for illegal aliens at the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Senator Tuberville’s remarks can be found below and viewed on YouTube or Rumble.
TUBERVILLE: “Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
Thanks for being here today. In my state of Alabama, do we have anybody here today?
[Applause]
We got a few. Thank you very much. Real quickly, in the Trump Administration, there’s an evaluation of a lot of people in the VA. It’s not just about money. It’s not about buildings. It’s about people who work in those buildings. Four thousand people were fired for cause.
This administration has allowed them to come back with back pay and work in the VA. It’s a disgrace. Do your job, or you don’t work in the VA. You deserve great care. Great care. Not average care.
[Applause]
Now, unfortunately, the VA has lost its way under this Administration. They’ve gotten caught up in the border crisis caused by President Biden and his open border policies. While the VA should be leveraging every available resource to ensure timely and quality care to veterans. A section of the VA Financial Service Center helps process healthcare claims for illegal aliens. Big community care providers are used by the DHS to provide care for illegal aliens.
Do you approve Mr. Chairman of the Biden Administration using the VA and our taxpayer dollars to assist with healthcare claims processing illegal aliens at ICE Detention Centers?”
SARMIENTO: “Senator, it is our understanding from the from even going to Chairman Bost’s committee, and speaking to the VA Secretary, that there’s 10 VA employees on the border processing ICE’s financial claims. They’ve been doing this since 2002. Obviously, we are against any of VA’s using resources, medical resources on undocumented immigrants. We’re against that.
But for more understanding, and if I’m answering your question, Senator, I want to make sure I’m understanding [the question], that we have 10 people I shouldn’t say we, the VA, has 10 people down on the border doing medical billing process.
And it’s not taking away from anything from veterans in the VA, sir.”
SENATOR: “So that being said, my bill S.3490 the No VA Resources for Illegal Aliens Act would stop any of this from happening. Would you support that?”
SARMIENTO: “I don’t believe we’ve seen that.”
GALLUCI: “We have.”
SARMIENTO: “It it’s something that if you’d like to speak to our staff here in D.C., sir, we shall be willing.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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