The shocking condition of health care for veterans in the U.S. may soon be a thing of the past. President Barack Obama put pen to paper Thursday on a bill that will overhaul the system, AP reported.

The $16.3 billion piece of legislation will allow the Veterans Affairs Department to hire doctors, nurses and other health care workers at VA hospitals and health clinics across the country. The law also has a clause making it easier to fire VA executives who don't perform their jobs properly.

"This will not and cannot be the end of our effort," Obama said. "We have to make sure the VA system can keep pace with the new demands."

Congress passed the bill last week in one of the few instances this year in which politicians on both sides of the aisle agreed on an issue, showing the magnitude of the problem with the VA.

The $16.3 billion bill comprises $10 billion in emergency spending over three years to pay for doctors and other health care for veterans who cannot get an appointment at VA hospitals, which has been a big part of the problem. It also covers $5 billion for hiring new doctors and nurses and $1.3 billion to open 27 new VA clinics in the U.S.

Obama acted on this bill after months of reports of veterans dying while waiting on VA appointments or other care, and of common coverups.

The VA also has acted in response to the reports of corruption and negligence, including hiring a new VA secretary, Robert McDonald. The VA employs more than 310,000 people and provides health care for nearly 9 million enrolled veterans and disability compensation for nearly 4 million veterans.

"No veteran should have to wait to receive the benefits they have earned," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, according to USA Today. "And in recent months, the VA has taken aggressive steps to address the systemic issues found in the VA's health care system."