Congressman David Rouzer, R-N.C., said the water quality of the Wilmington Veterans Affairs clinic is a priority for him and that he has met with construction officials who built the two-year-old facility that now has problems with tainted drinking water.
During a town hall meeting on Monday in Wilmington, Rouzer told constituents that the House Veterans Affairs Oversight Subcommittee is investigating the issue and that Environmental Protection Agency regulations could play a role in the issue.
“It’s a case where the left hand and the right hand aren’t communicating,” Rouzer said of the problems with the VA facility, which has tested for elevated levels of copper since the problem was first discovered in March.
Problems with the VA were one of a number of issues raised by several dozen constituents during the meeting at Roland-Grise Middle School. While most were there to speak about national issues, one man said he was a disabled veteran who had to wait four months to get an appointment at the facility.
“The VA is one of the biggest frustrations that we have in Congress,” Rouzer told him.
In addition to answering a range of questions from audience members, Rouzer also presented a slideshow with updates on congressional action so far this session. In particular, Rouzer noted the 350 bills passed by the House, including one that seeks to limit sexual trafficking and another that would give Congress the duty to approve regulations that have a certain impact on the economy.
For constituents, one of the top concerns was a proposal to take in refugees from the Syrian civil war. News reports indicate the United States could take in 10,000 refugees, while some activists have urged the government to take in up to 100,000. Some residents worried that refugees would resettle in Wilmington and asked Rouzer to cosponsor legislation designed to slow or delay any resettlement efforts.
“There’s a strict process in place,” Rouzer said of the refugee situation. “We can’t accommodate the numbers [President Barack Obama] has proposed.”
A few residents also asked Rouzer to support efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, the controversial organization that provides abortions and birth control.
Rouzer said there was a strong movement to defund Planned Parenthood in Congress and that getting people to watch the videos was critical in order to build momentum for defunding the organization.
“The more we stress it, the more people will learn,” he said of the videos allegedly depicting a Planned Parenthood doctor negotiating the sale of fetal tissue.
While echoing the standard Republican priorities of low taxes and limited regulations, Rouzer argued that government rules actually had more of an impact on the economy.
“You can’t create a job if you can’t create a profit,” he said, earning applause from the audience. “Rules and regulation are killing this country.”
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