Sen. Isakson’s VA Accountability Measure Passes House
Just a little while ago, the United States House passed Sen. Johnny Isakson’s (R, GA) Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act.
Sen. Isakson stated:
“I am thrilled that the House has passed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. I want to thank House leadership for quickly taking action and House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for their support of this critical issue. Now, with President Trump’s support, this bill is on its way to becoming the law of the land to help ensure that the VA is accountable to our nation’s veterans.”
Below is the background provided by Sen. Isakson’s office via a press release.
Background:
The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act increases the VA’s authority to remove employees at all levels of the department, shortens the removal process and ensures an individual removed from the VA is not kept on the VA’s payroll while appealing that decision. It also makes it easier for the VA to remove poor performing senior executives and replace them with qualified candidates. Additionally, any appeals by senior VA executives would no longer be brought before the Merit Systems Protection Board, but instead would be handled directly by the VA secretary under an expedited timeline.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act also establishes in law the newly created Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within the VA, which mirrors a proposal first introduced by Isakson in his Veterans First Act last Congress.
The legislation also includes a number of other provisions to hold employees accountable, including:
- Requires the VA to evaluate supervisors based on the protection of whistleblowers;
- Incentivizes managers to address poor performance and misconduct among employees by requiring the VA secretary to include this as part of the annual performance plan;
- Prohibits bonuses for employees who have been found guilty of wrongdoing; and
- Prohibits relocation expenses to employees who abuse the system.
A one-page summary of the legislation can be found here.
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Rep. Rob Woodall (R, GA-7):
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved S. 1094, the “Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act,” which will now go to the President’s desk for signature. The legislation provides the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with the authority to expeditiously remove, demote, or suspend any VA employee, including Senior Executive Service (SES) employees, based on performance or misconduct. It is estimated by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that, on average, it takes six months to a year to remove a permanent civil servant in the Federal Government – and in many cases could take longer if achieved at all.
“There are a great many things on which we as Americans agree – irrespective of our differences – and delivering on the promises we’ve made to our veterans is one of those shared beliefs,” said Woodall. “As its name suggests, this bill is about accountability and procedural integrity, and it’s an enormous step in the right direction. The overwhelming percentage of employees at the VA are remarkably committed public servants, so that makes it all the more important to ensure that they are not also harmed or hindered by the negligent actions of a few. I’m proud of the bicameral work that’s been done to get us to this point, and I look forward to seeing the President sign this measure into law soon.”
S. 1094 builds upon the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability (Choice) Act, which was signed into law in 2014 to address systemic flaws in multiple VA facilities, by codifying additional policies that are currently being implemented at the regulatory level. The action is one Woodall sees as critical to delivering long-term certainty and peace of mind for veterans, employees, and taxpayers alike.
“Federal red tape should never stand between a veteran and the best possible care, and it certainly shouldn’t protect misconduct. Today’s vote moves these common sense principles one step closer to the finish line,” Woodall added.
Having cleared both the House and Senate, the measure is expected to be signed into law by President Trump.
Rep. Doug Collins (R, GA-9):
Today the House of Representatives passed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) issued the following statement in response to its passage:
“America owes its freedom to the men and women who fight to protect it. These selfless veterans deserve outstanding service from the VA, and, sadly, too many egregious exceptions to this standard have come to light. The VA Accountability Act helps ensure that veterans receive high-quality, efficient health care and access to services by holding VA employees accountable for their actions.
“This bill will prioritize veterans over politics, protect individuals who expose abuses in the VA system and highlight the faithful work that many VA employees are doing. It’s an honor to vote in favor of this legislation. I thank Senator Johnny Isakson for his tireless work on this bill in the Senate, and I look forward to its arrival on the president’s desk.”
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R, GA-11):
“Our veterans deserve to receive the care they were promised when they signed up to serve our nation. The Veterans Administration, for too long, has been wrought with corruption, scandal, and ineffectiveness. At the core of the problem is federal law that prioritizes protecting the jobs of bad employees over ensuring quality care for veterans.
“The legislation we passed today goes a long way to reform the VA and end the era of mismanagement and abuse. These reforms will give managers the tools they need to remove employees who mistreat veterans, abuse their position, or are nonperforming in their duties.”
Rep. Rick Allen (R, GA-12):
U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12) voted in favor of S. 1094, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 today. This legislation will give America’s veterans the quality medical care they deserve by holding bad actors at the VA accountable. Congressman Allen issued the following statement:
“Americans have heard far too many stories about the failures at the Department of Veterans Affairs in the past few years, and there are many VA employees who have not been held accountable for their actions. Today we have taken an important step to provide our nation’s heroes with the best treatment possible. This bill creates a new process for VA employees to be fired for wrongdoing or incompetency.
In the 12th district of Georgia, we have two VA hospitals that are invaluable to our veterans who need quality medical care. I hear from veterans across my district about the quality care they receive, and I am proud to support this legislation that will put all VA hospitals on track to providing the best care possible for veterans. The next stop for this important bill is President Trump’s desk, and I look forward to the day when this is the law of the land.”
Rep. Tom Graves (R, GA-14):
Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) voted for and the House passed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act (S. 1094), sending it to the president’s desk.
“Our veterans made countless sacrifices serving our nation and protecting our freedom,” said Rep. Graves. “They deserve the best possible care we can provide. This legislation will help improve services and care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by empowering the Trump administration to get the bad apples out so the good employees can do their jobs.
“While this doesn’t fix every problem at the VA, it’s a big step in the right direction. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the administration to continue addressing the issues at the VA. Our veterans and their families deserve nothing less.”
Specifically, H.R. 1259 increases accountability at the VA by making it easier for the VA Secretary to punish or fire bad employees. It also improves whistleblower protections so employees who witness misconduct can report it without fearing retaliation.
In March, the House passed the VA Accountability First Act (H.R. 1259). S. 1094 resolves the differences between the House bill and the Senate’s version. The bill is now sent to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
Rep. Drew Ferguson (R, GA-3):
Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) voted today for the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. This legislation would streamline the process to hold bad actors in the Department of Veterans Administration (VA) accountable and provide protections for whistleblowers to ensure that their claims are brought before the Office of Special Counsel for investigation.
“Our veterans sacrificed so much to bravely defend our nation,” said Ferguson. “We owe it to them to provide the highest quality care, in a timely manner. The series of scandals that has plagued the VA exposed the need for tougher accountability measures for employees and protections for those who bring cases of unacceptable care to light. I am proud to support legislation that would make it easier to weed out those who are failing to serve our nation’s heroes. It is time we restore the level of care and respect our veterans deserve.”