U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) joined 10 of their Republican colleagues in calling out the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for mismanagement and accountability failures.
The senators called on the VA to take several actions that would demonstrate its commitment to upholding high standards of integrity and accountability in serving the needs of the nation’s veterans, according to a May 21 letter they sent to VA Secretary Denis McDonough.
“Failure to take decisive action… will undermine public confidence in the VA and the trust of those who have sacrificed so much for our country,” wrote the lawmakers, who also included U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Steve Daines (R-MT).
They cited a recent report by the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) that highlighted the VA’s “egregious mishandling of Critical Skill Incentives (CSIs).”
For instance, they said the report uncovered the improper allocation of CSIs to senior executives within the VA and revealed a consistent disregard for statutory requirements and VA policies that are resulting in the “unjustified distribution of bonuses to executives.”
“This blatant misuse of taxpayer funds is not just a breach of public trust but also a disservice to the courageous men and women who have selflessly served our nation,” wrote Sen. Blackburn, Sen. Ernst, and their colleagues.
Furthermore, the OIG report outlined systemic failures in internal controls and transparency within the VA, they wrote, underscoring the need for urgent reforms to strengthen governance processes and ensure accountability for decision-making regarding financial management practices.
The senators demanded that the VA immediately dismiss responsible officials and recoup unjustified bonuses.
“We trust that you will take swift and decisive action to address these critical issues and restore confidence in the integrity of the VA,” the senators told McDonough.