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U.S. NEWS Thursday 20 april 2017

Trump extends private-sector Utah Rep. Chaffetz says he won’t run for re-election
health care program for vets MATTHEW DALY the House Oversight and that public service should

Associated Press Government Reform Com- be for a limited time. He
DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Utah mittee, also drew fire from said that after more than
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Re-
1,500 nights away from
Democrats after saying
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed publican who doggedly he would not investigate home, “it is time” to step
a bill Wednesday to temporarily extend a program investigated Hillary Clinton Trump’s business empire, aside.
that lets some veterans seek medical care in the pri- before the 2016 presiden- given that he had prom- Chaffetz said he has “no
vate sector, part of an effort by the president to de- tial election but declined ised before the presiden- ulterior motives” and is
liver on a campaign promise. to investigate President tial election that he would healthy and confident he
The extension will give Veterans Affairs Secretary Da- Donald Trump, abruptly investigate Clinton “for would be re-elected.
vid Shulkin time to develop a more comprehensive announced Wednesday years” if she was elected. House Speaker Paul Ryan
plan to allow veterans to more easily go outside the that he won’t run for re- “It’s a tough decision. I tweeted that Chaffetz is “a
VA health system for care. Under the bill Trump signed election. love serving in Congress, great defender of liberty
into law, the VA will be allowed to continue operating
its Choice Program until the funding runs out, which is
expected early next year. The program was sched-
uled to expire on Aug. 7 with nearly $1 billion left over.
Trump said veterans have “not been taken care of
properly” and that the program will continue to be
able to see “the doctor of their choice.”
“You got it? The doctor of their choice,” he repeated
for emphasis.
Shulkin, who attended the bill signing, has said the
money is needed to pay for stopgap services while he
works on the longer-term plan. He said Wednesday
that the plan is due in the fall. Congress would have to
approve any changes to the VA health system.
Shulkin said the extension is important because it gives
veterans another avenue for care.
“It’s this approach where veterans can get care
wherever they need it that really is the way that we’re
going to address all the needs and honor our com-
mitments to our veterans,” he said after Trump signed
the bill.
The Choice Program was put in place after a 2014
scandal in which as many as 40 veterans died while
waiting months to be scheduled for appointments at
the Phoenix VA medical center. In this 2016 photo, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Jason
The program is intended to provide more timely care Chaffetz, R-Utah speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Chaffetz says he won’t for re-election or
by allowing veterans to go outside the VA network any other office in 2018
only in cases where they had to wait more than 30 (AP Photo/Molly Riley)
days for an appointment or drive more than 40 miles
to a facility. Yet the program itself often encountered Chaffetz, who has been but I love my family more,” and limited government”
long wait times of its own. rumored as a possible can- Chaffetz said in an inter- and wished him the best.
The new law also calls for changes to alleviate some didate for Senate or gov- view Wednesday with KSL Still, Chaffetz has run into
problems by speeding up VA payments and promot- ernor, said that after con- Newsradio in Salt Lake City. political turbulence.
ing greater sharing of medical records. sulting with his family and “I really meant it when I He was met by frequent,
Major veterans’ organizations and Democrats sup- “prayerful consideration, I said I was going to get in, deafening boos at a Feb-
port a temporary extension of the Choice Program, have decided I will not be serve and get out.” ruary town hall as con-
but are closely watching the coming VA revamp of a candidate for any office Running for Utah governor stituents grilled him on
the program for signs that the Trump administration in 2018.” in 2020 is a possibility, Chaf- everything from investi-
may seek greater privatization. Those groups gener- The 50-year-old Chaffetz fetz said, but he’s not will- gating Trump’s tax returns
ally oppose privatization as a threat to the viability of had strolled to four easy ing to commit one way or to Planned Parenthood.
VA medical centers. re-elections in his Republi- another. Chaffetz repeatedly said,
Trump had pledged during the presidential campaign can-friendly congressional “I’m trying to leave the “hold on,” and “give me
to give veterans freedom to seek care “at a private district. But he was facing door open for possibilities a second,” as audience
service provider of their own choice.” a surprising challenge from down the road,” he said. members in a Salt Lake
Mark Lucas, executive director of Concerned Veter- a Democratic newcomer Chaffetz led a nearly two- City suburb reacted neg-
ans for America, commended Trump for upholding who raised more than a year investigation into Clin- atively to nearly all of his
a campaign promise to make veterans a priority, but half-million dollars by tap- ton’s use of a private email statements and implored
said more needed to be done. Lucas said the Choice ping into anger over Chaf- server while she was sec- him to “do your job” and
Program was a well-intentioned “quick fix” to the fetz’s recent comment retary of state, continuing investigate Trump.
Phoenix scandal, but that it remains flawed and has suggesting people should the inquiry even after the In a CNN interview in
forced too many veterans to seek care at what he spend their money on 2016 election. And he and March, Chaffetz was asked
termed failing VA facilities. health insurance instead of other Republicans asked how lower-income Ameri-
“Congress now has some time to work with Secretary iPhones. the Justice Department to cans would get access to
Shulkin on broader, more permanent choice reforms Political unknown Dr. Kath- investigate whether Clin- health insurance if the Af-
that will truly put the veteran at the center of their ryn Allen has been trans- ton lied to Congress dur- fordable Care Act, also
health care and remove VA bureaucrats as the mid- formed into a liberal hero ing her 2015 testimony to known as “Obamacare,” is
dlemen,” Lucas said. “We look forward to supporting for calling out Chaffetz on House Benghazi panel. repealed by congressional
legislation that will let veterans go outside the VA for Twitter, gaining an early In a statement on Face- Republicans.
care when they want or need to.”q boost in name recognition. book, Chaffetz noted that “Americans have choic-
Chaffetz, the chairman of he has long advocated es,” he responded. q