Press Releases

Today Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-2), a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, voted in favor of H.R. 5620, the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016.

Introduced by VA Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, H.R. 5620 would ensure that the VA has the tools it needs to hold employees accountable for misconduct or poor performance. It authorizes the VA Secretary to fire or demote VA employees, and it allows the Secretary to recoup bonuses or relocation expenses given to employees who have committed an act of fraud, waste, or malfeasance. This legislation would also strengthen protections for whistleblowers within the VA.

“It’s common sense: the VA should be able to fire employees for misconduct or for failing to do their jobs. In practice, though, that’s not how it works,” said Wenstrup.  “The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that firing a VA employee is a nine-step process that can take 6-12 months, resulting in a system that protects VA employees at the expense of our veterans. Efforts to make the VA efficient and veteran-oriented will fall flat unless we address this lack of accountability. I was pleased to vote for H.R. 5620; the accountability measures in this bill are long overdue. I hope our colleagues in the Senate will act quickly and send it to the President’s desk.”

H.R. 5620 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 310-116. The full text and summary of the bill can be found here.

The House passed similar legislation (H.R. 1994) last year, but it has been blocked in the Senate.

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Office of Representative Brad Wenstrup

www.Wenstrup.House.gov