Washington Clears Out, Leaving Lots to Clean Up

摘要

Lawmakers in Washington applauded themselves on July 28 for reaching a $17 billion bipartisan deal to ease long waits at veterans' hospitals. If passed by the House and Senate and signed by the president, it will create 27 Veterans Affairs facilities and expand the types of non-VA hospitals and clinics where veterans can receive care. It will also give the VA secretary more authority to fire senior executives. Yet as members of Congress pack up for their five-week summer vacation-sorry, "district work period"-they leave behind a number of problems that won't just go away in their absence.