Lawmaker wants to force Congress to use VA health care

An Ohio congressman wants to force all Capitol Hill lawmakers and their staff to receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure they have incentive to improve the system.

But the top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is blasting the idea as little more than a publicity stunt.

On Tuesday, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, introduced his “Lead by Example” act, which would require all members of Congress and several thousand staffers to enroll in VA medical care “instead of under the Federal Health Benefits Program or other health care exchanges.”

“Providing our veterans with the highest quality care is a bipartisan issue, one which nearly all the presidential candidates ran on,” he said in a statement. “Overhauling the VA is no easy task and will require consistent and intentional Congressional oversight for years to come. My bill will ensure members of Congress have stakes in improving the failing program.”