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Floor Speech
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Mr. TESTER. Madam President, the Department of Veterans Affairs needs a steady hand to guide the Veterans Health Administration, this Nation's largest integrated healthcare system that delivers quality care and timely care to our veterans, if they have a leader.
I rise today because Dr. Shereef Elnahal is that person. He has an impressive record of leading healthcare systems and health agencies.
Most recently Dr. Elnahal served as president and CEO of University Hospital in Newark, NJ, and previously as New Jersey's 21st health commissioner. But, more importantly, he is committed to caring for the more than 9 million veterans in VA care, a commitment he has carried out as assistant deputy undersecretary for health and quality, safety, and value at the department. It is no secret that VHA and healthcare systems of providers nationally are going through a challenging time.
VA is continuing to battle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with veterans' cases, hospitalizations and death on the rise again. And VA staff are dealing with burnout and increasing turnover in our VA system.
So I am going to tell you, if the people of this body want to help-- want to help veterans, holding this nominee is not the way to help veterans. And I will tell you what, they are actually doing a disservice to veterans and their families by playing political games and preventing permanent healthcare leadership at the VA, which is so critically important.
In the past, this body has been able to rise above politics to install qualified individuals at the VA, responsible for getting vets the healthcare and the benefits that they not only need but they have earned. And today, we must do that again.
We must act without delay to confirm Dr. Elnahal as VA's next undersecretary for health.
So with that, I would ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, the Senate consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 902, Shereef M. Elnahal, to be undersecretary for health of the Department of Veterans' Affairs; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the record.
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Mr. TESTER. Madam President, this individual--through the Chair--has been President and CEO of University Hospital in Newark, NJ. He has been New Jersey's 21st health commissioner. Why do you think--Senator from Florida, through the Chair, why do you think that makes him unqualified? Would the Senator from Florida like to respond?
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Mr. TESTER. What is that? I couldn't hear you.
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Mr. TESTER. So we had a hearing on Mr. Elnahal. If my memory serves me correct, he went out by voice, because he was so very, very good.
I would really appreciate it if the Senator from Florida would at least stay here rather than turn his back on the veterans of America and walk out the door, turning his back on the American veterans, the people who have served this country, the people who have fought. We are coming up to Memorial Day. I hope that the Senator from Florida doesn't walk into Memorial Day services and talk about what a great friend he is of our veterans because he is not.
All I am asking for is to give the VA the tools they need to be able to provide our veterans with the healthcare they have earned.
This isn't the first time I have been on the floor for a unanimous consent request with the Senator from Florida. But this is an excuse that doesn't hold water. I didn't see the Senator from Florida at the committee hearing. Even though he is not a member of the VA Committee, if he was so concerned about this person, why wasn't he at the committee hearing to hear the responses that Dr. Elnahal gave?
I am going to tell you what this is. With all due respect to the Senator from Florida, this is obstruction at the worst because this obstruction stops our veterans from getting the healthcare they need.
You want to talk about why the American people think the U.S. Senate is dysfunctional? The Senator from Florida could look in the mirror.
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