U.S. Sen. Bernie Sander, I-Vt., can stop being mad at U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla.

The two lawmakers have worked out an agreement that reforms veterans health care with the aim of ending the scandalous delays that have rocked the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This veteran thanks them.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/veterans-affairs-reforms-deal-109425.html?hp=f1

The deal will be revealed Monday.

Sanders had grown testy in recent days as Congress prepares to take a five-week recess. He had expressed anger at Miller’s unwillingness to negotiate a deal that closes the gap between the House and Senate versions of the reform. The men chair their bodies’ respective veterans affairs committees and so they got together over the weekend to hammer out a deal that should pass both houses of Congress and end up on President Obama’s desk.

Politico reports that specifics aren’t yet clear but the reforms are expected to give the VA secretary broader authority to fire administrators who mess up and it allocates more money for veterans seeking health care if they cannot be seen by medical staff at a veterans medical clinic.

As Politico reports: “While Sanders and Senate Democrats prefer the bill’s costs to be treated as emergency spending, there is a strong push from Republicans to raise revenue or make other cuts to offset the bill’s costs as much as possible.”

There must be no more delays on improving veterans health care. Politicians of both parties keep proclaiming their deep, abiding respect for veterans and vow to give them top-flight medical care. I appreciate their kind words.

Their bickering over what should have been a slam-dunk, though, is testing a lot of veterans’ patience.

Get it done.