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House Approves $17-Billion Bipartisan VA Health Care Fix

The House has passed a bipartisan bill aimed to reform the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs.
The sign of the Department of Veteran Affairs is seen in front of the headquarters building in Washington, May 23, 2014.
The sign of the Department of Veteran Affairs is seen in front of the headquarters building in Washington, May 23, 2014. LARRY DOWNING / Reuters

The House has passed a bipartisan bill aimed to reform the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs as Congress prepares to leave for a five-week recess.

In a 420-5 Wednesday, the House approved the $17 billion legislation intended to reduce long wait times for veterans seeking health care and provide more accountability for VA executives.

The Senate is expected to quickly approve the measure ahead of the August break.

The chairmen of the House and Senate veterans affairs committees announced the compromise bill on Monday as partisan disputes over the legislation’s price tag threatened its passage.

On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed former Procter & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald as the next head of the VA after Eric Shinseki resigned following reports of widespread mismanagement.

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