WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today announced that he and the Committee’s ranking Democrat will hold an on-site meeting with VA leadership and employees at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015.

“It is vitally important to me to go into the VA headquarters to hear firsthand from the leadership and from rank-and-file employees what actions they’re taking on behalf of our veterans,” Isakson said.

Chairman Isakson will be joined by Senate VA Committee ranking member Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., and House VA Committee ranking member Corrine Brown, D-Fla.

The visit will include a briefing on access to care conducted by VA Secretary Robert McDonald and Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson along with senior VA leaders who will provide an update on VA’s ongoing efforts to accelerate access to care and receive real-time, data-driven updates from staff.

Following the briefing, Isakson, Miller, Blumenthal and Brown will join Sec. McDonald at a question-and-answer forum with employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs to hear directly from those whose jobs are to implement the reforms passed by Congress last year in the Veterans’ Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014.

The briefing and town hall meeting are for employees only. A media availability will be held immediately following the conclusion of the employee town hall meeting at approximately 11:00 a.m.

Additional details are provided below:

WHO:             U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, chairman, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee

                        U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, ranking member, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee

                  U.S. Representative Jeff Miller, chairman, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee

                  U.S. Representative Corrine Brown, ranking member, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee

                   U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald

                  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson

WHEN:          Tuesday, February 3, 2015

                        11:00 a.m. – Media Availability

Media should arrive at 9:50 a.m. for pre-set. Please note that a valid form of government-issued ID (such as a driver’s license) is necessary to enter the VA facility. 

WHERE:        U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office

810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420

Building is adjacent to Lafayette Park. Media should arrive at the main entrance on Vermont. Please note there is no parking at this location.

RSVP:             Media interested in attending the media availability at the Health Care Center should RSVP before 3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2015, to NLT here: VAPublicAffairs@va.gov.