WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) voted for H.R. 5620, the Veterans Administration (VA) Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act.

 

“Investigations continue to reveal shortcomings at certain VA facilities, but reports indicate that very few of the employees found to be engaged in wrongdoing have been held accountable,” said Congressman Guthrie.

 

H.R. 5620 continues Congress’s efforts to add protections for VA whistleblowers while also streamlining the process for determining misconduct and appropriate sanctions. The bill would provide the Secretary of the VA with greater authority to fire employees for misconduct and recoup bonuses that have been wrongly paid. The bill also contains reforms that would modernize the appeals process for disability claims to expedite resolution.

 

“The message I have heard from many veterans who use VA services is that they receive excellent care from a dedicated and highly professional staff. The reforms we passed today would simply provide the VA Secretary with the tools needed to hold accountable the small number of bad actors within the system whose misdeeds have been well-documented,” continued Guthrie. “Further, the appeals backlog has reached a nearly unmanageable level, and we must take steps to improve the process and give veterans the dignity of a timely disposition.”

 

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