Congress passes VA Accountability legislation

House Republicans passed the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act, by a vote of 310 – 116. The bill provides for more accountability from VA employees at all levels. The bill may not end the current apathetic service at the VA but is will allow the agency to respond more efficiently when it occurs. It also shortened the appeals process for disability benefits and permits the VA to deal with performance issues quickly.

Yesterday on the floor of Congress Doug Collins GA-9, a leader on Veteran’s Affairs issues, outlined the case for the changes at the VA  by stating,

“This behavior would not slide in the private sector, and we certainly shouldn’t stand for it when it comes to our nation’s heroes, who have put their lives on the line to serve our country…That’s not fair to the hardworking individuals who are in fact doing their jobs, and it’s certainly not fair to veterans…It’s a time to decide, are we going to continue to make excuses? Or are we going to put the veterans first?”

Additional information is available by contacting the Congressman’s Special Project Coordinator Ella Yates.