U.S. Reps. Mike Bost (R-IL) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) are not satisfied with action that has been taken thus far at the Loma Linda VA Medical Center (VAMC) regarding reports of a hostile work environment and again pressed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for accountability.
“Failing to quickly and appropriately discipline employees in situations like the ones we see in Loma Linda is a disservice to both their peers and the veterans they serve,” the lawmakers wrote in a July 19 letter sent to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “Creating a better work environment and a better VA for veterans must begin with more accountability, not less.”
The members were not satisfied with responses that Secretary McDonough provided to their April letter regarding a situation at Loma Linda VAMC in which a supervisory employee continues to be employed by the medical center despite creating a hostile work environment that is hindering the delivery of high-quality services to veterans, according to their July letter.
“In your letter, you recount the legacy discipline process that led VA to keep employing a sub-par supervisory employee despite roughly 4,000 pages of evidence proving they were creating an undeniably hostile environment at Loma Linda VAMC,” wrote Reps. Bost and Obernolte. “Our constituents, including dozens of veterans and Loma Linda VAMC employees, have reached out to us to make clear that this is unacceptable.”
The lawmakers requested that the secretary by Aug. 21 respond to their request for specific documents related to any Administrative Investigations Board fact findings, and any other administrative investigations related to specific VAMC employees, according to their letter.
Rep. Bost and Rep. Obernolte also pointed out that their GOP-led Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act of 2023, H.R. 4278, which they introduced in June, would give the VA the authority it needs “to get rid of the few VA employees who hold the VA back.”
H.R. 4278, they wrote, “is designed to ensure that you have the tools you need to hold employees like this supervisory employee accountable. In communicating with Loma Linda VAMC employees, we learned that many of them believe their leadership is failing them.”