Missed Opportunity

On June 1, 2023, the Senate passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), and the President signed it into law shortly after.  The legislation suspends the national debt limit through January 1, 2025, enacts certain discretionary spending limits, rescinds unobligated funds and modifies other requirements related to the federal budget process.

Although the FRA makes important progress in addressing some parts of discretionary spending, it was a missed opportunity for true budget reforms to prevent the type of excessive spending we have seen over the last two years.  America’s long-term fiscal gap is unsustainable, and we have a responsibility to fix it.

You can read more about the FRA HERE.  You can read my full statement following the vote HERE.

Idaho Judgeship Filled

On May 4, 2023, the United States Senate confirmed Judge Amanda K. Brailsford to serve as U.S. District Court Judge in Idaho.  She is the first woman to serve in the role of U.S. District Judge in Idaho.  Judge Brailsford is a sound and principled jurist whose history demonstrates she will adjudicate cases according to the law and U.S. Constitution.  She will serve Idaho well.

Department of Veterans Affairs Halts Rollout of Electronic Health Record Program in Boise

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced it would halt future rollouts of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Program it had deployed at various VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) across the country in light of repeated deficiencies negatively impacting the quality of care received by veterans.

Idaho’s veterans deserve every level of exceptional care, and this announcement is the first step in ensuring proper care at VAMCs in Idaho and elsewhere across the country.

Prior to the announcement, some actions I took to stop further rollout at Boise include:

• Leading the Idaho Congressional Delegationin sending a letter to the VA expressing concerns with its EHR system, detailing a number of concerns experienced at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, Washington, which services many of North Idaho’s veterans.
• Again, with the Idaho Congressional Delegation, expressingour continued concerns with the rollout of the EHR system in Boise, which had been postponed from its initial go-live date of July 23, 2022.
• Joining fellow Idaho Senator Jim Risch and Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) to introduce the VA Standardization of Electronic Health Record Modernization Actto freeze the VA rollout of the EHR program until certain improvements are made.

While the VA finally made the right decision without congressional intervention through legislation, I will continue to press for its passage.  It would be irresponsible to support rollout of a new EHR program until all concerns have been properly and adequately addressed.  America’s servicemembers deserve to know the systems housing their medical records are safe, reliable and user-friendly.

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