WC Wisconsin News

House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Chairman Derrick Van Orden and Committee Chairman Mike Bost, along with lawmakers from both the House and Senate, have introduced the Restore VA Accountability Act. The proposed legislation aims to enhance the Department of Veterans Affairs' ability to discipline underperforming employees effectively.

Rep. Van Orden emphasized that "The VA is not a jobs program for bureaucrats" and stressed the importance of maintaining a workforce dedicated to serving veterans. He expressed his pride in supporting the bill alongside Chairman Bost to ensure accountability within the VA.

Chairman Bost highlighted past issues within the VA, stating, “Over the past two years, we uncovered scandal after scandal of bad middle managers or employees at VA committing wrongdoing.” He noted that these issues impact both veterans and diligent employees trying to fulfill their duties. According to Bost, "The intent of Chairman Moran and I’s bill...is to hold that 1% of bad VA employees accountable."

Chairman Moran also supported the bill, remarking on its potential benefits: “Veterans are best served when VA leaders have the ability to act swiftly to remove bad employees from the VA workforce.”

The Restore VA Accountability Act has garnered support from 25 House members whose local veteran communities have been affected by insufficient accountability measures. Oversight & Investigations Chairwoman Kiggans shared her perspective as a former healthcare provider in a VA clinic: “Having served as a healthcare provider in a VA clinic, I know many of the workers at the VA are deeply dedicated professionals.”

Rep. Luttrell pointed out that previous efforts like "the 2017 Accountability Act" had faced setbacks due to court rulings and decisions by subsequent administrations but remained optimistic about rectifying these issues with new legislation.

Rep. Harshbarger emphasized swift action against underperformance: "Like most jobs, you can get replaced if you don’t meet expectations." Rep. Obernolte echoed this sentiment while referencing findings from investigations into Loma Linda VAMC's operations.

Support for this initiative extends beyond Congress, with endorsements from organizations such as The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP), Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), The American Legion, Student Veterans of America (SVA), Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and others.

In addition to House backing, Senators Tommy Tuberville, Bill Cassidy, Marsha Blackburn, Jim Banks, John Boozman, Tim Sheehy, and Kevin Cramer have cosponsored this bill in the Senate.

The complete text of this legislation is available online for public access.