Chair McCollum Statement at Hearing on Defense Health Programs

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), Vice Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on Defense Health Programs:

The Subcommittee on Defense will come to order.

This morning the Subcommittee will receive testimony on the Defense Health Program and the military health system.

We welcome six witnesses:

• Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle, Surgeon General of the U.S. Army
• Rear Admiral Bruce L. Gillingham, Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy
• Lieutenant General Dorothy A. Hogg, Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force
• Mr. Thomas McCaffrey, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
• Lieutenant General Ronald J. Place, Director, Defense Health Agency
• Mr. Bill Tinston, Program Executive Officer, Defense Healthcare Management Systems

There are serious questions on how medical reforms have been accounted for in the President’s Budget request for Fiscal Year 2021.

Across the spectrum of the military health system, from medical readiness to beneficiary care, in many cases the budget justification lacks the adequate detail for the subcommittee to make informed decisions.

We hope the witnesses today can address the subcommittee’s questions and concerns.

Of particular interest, we look forward to hearing about:

• The role of the Department in addressing or assisting other federal agencies in dealing with epidemic or pandemic outbreaks -
  such as COVID-19;
• The Department’s study on reducing or eliminating certain health care services at many military treatment facilities; and
• An update on the Department’s electronic health record system - MHS Genesis.

We look forward to hearing about these topics and more.

With that, I thank you again for appearing before the Subcommittee today.

Now I want to recognize our distinguished ranking member, Mr. Calvert for his comments.