Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) on Monday would take steps to streamline Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) workforce acquisition and training procedures to boost both efficiency and effectiveness.
The VA would be directed to create new career certification programs that are similar to those used by the Department of Defense, and to extend current VA career certification programs for contracting officers to logistics workers and construction managers under the VA Acquisition Workforce Improvement and Streamlining Act.
“Unfortunately, far too often we have seen excessive waste and inefficiencies at the VA that have in some cases severely hurt services to our veterans,” said Poliquin, a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “It is critical that the resources we put into the VA are used in the most efficient ways and to their maximum potential for our veterans. To achieve this goal, we must ensure the workforce at the VA receives the training needed to cut down waste and improve efficiency, while also eliminating bureaucracy that harms the department’s ability to ultimately carry out this mission.”
The measure, which would be paid for by consolidating redundant acquisition policies, would also direct the VA to expand internship programs that help new graduates and veterans fill positions vacated by retiring employees.
“I’m enormously proud to push this legislation forward to increase efficiency, better our veterans’ services and make sure they receive the care and support they deserve,” Poliquin said.
Poliquin introduced the measure with bipartisan support from U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI), the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), the ranking member of the subcommittee.
“VA has serious purchasing problems that delays healthcare services to our veterans and wastes billions of dollars of taxpayer funds,” Kuster said. “This bill would ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is able to hire and effectively train the employees it holds responsible for purchasing medical supplies and contracting construction projects. This bill would also enable the VA to reform its acquisitions bureaucracy and improve its overall government purchasing operation,” she added.