Bipartisan, bicameral legislation offered on June 22 by U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) would bolster the authority of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to hold inadequate VA middle managers accountable for their conduct.
“Quality employees help ensure veterans receive the best care possible at the VA,” said Sen. Moran, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This bill would restore the intent of Congress and put our veterans first.”
“We’ve heard from too many whistleblowers that bad VA employees are impacting care and hurting employee morale,” said Rep. Bost, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Our bill will bring accountability back to the VA for good.”
Rep. Bost sponsored the Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act, H.R. 4278, in his chamber, while Sen. Moran sponsored the same-named S. 2158 alongside lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
If enacted, the bill would ensure that the VA’s decisions supported by substantial evidence are upheld on appeal; negate the requirement for a performance improvement plan prior to disciplinary action; and unlock expedited removal, demotion, or suspension authority for use with all categories of VA employees, according to a one-page bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Additionally, the bill would align the disciplinary authority for unsatisfactory VA managers and supervisors with the process currently in place for members of the Senior Executive Service, the summary says.
“While the VA employs some of the finest men and women, it only takes a few bad employees to disrupt the culture and service at the VA, which negatively impacts veterans,” Sen. Moran said. “Veterans are best served when VA leaders have the ability to swiftly take action to remove bad employees in order to maintain a healthy workplace and, more importantly, provide quality services for our veterans.”
Rep. Bost agreed, saying it’s “vitally important” for the VA Secretary to have the necessary tools to run a successful organization.
“In order to best serve veterans, the VA Secretary must have the authority to quickly and fairly remove, demote, or suspend bad employees who are undermining the quality of services that our veterans have earned,” said the congressman, noting that the bipartisan 2017 VA Accountability Act provided such authority.
“Yet, administrative courts have issued decisions that ignore Congress’s intent by limiting the law’s applicability, leading VA to declare the 2017 law unusable,” Rep. Bost added. “As it stands today, the Secretary’s hands are tied and failing employees continue to be employed at VA. That is unacceptable to me.”
The Restore VA Accountability Act, he said, would reinstate the intent of Congress “by giving VA the authority to quickly and fairly discipline bad employees and strengthen VA’s ability to hold unsatisfactory middle managers accountable.”
The measure has garnered support from the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, America’s Warrior Partnership, the National Guard Association of the United States, and Concerned Veterans of America.