[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 79 (Friday, May 23, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E833-E834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2014

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 21, 2014

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 4031, 
the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act.
  First and foremost, let me address the serious allegations that 
employees at a number of VA hospitals around the country placed 
veterans on secret waiting lists and manipulated backlog data. This is 
absolutely shameful and if the VA Inspector General determines those 
claims to be true, we must hold those individuals accountable and 
swiftly remove and punish all employees who were part of this alleged 
wrongdoing.
  Unfortunately, the bill before us today is a fake solution and 
provides no real fix to the fundamental problems at the VA. Its stated 
purpose is to hold senior level employees accountable by giving the VA 
Secretary the authority to terminate them at-will. However, current law 
already allows for Senior Executives to be terminated for poor 
performance. Moreover, the VA has broad tools to remove individuals 
from the SES who are rated unsatisfactory, while providing them no 
right of appeal. In the last two years, fourteen Senior Executives have 
been removed.
  This legislation is an impulsive political reaction to an awful 
situation, and has many unintended consequences that could ultimately 
jeopardize the quality and care that our veterans receive. It would 
dismantle civil service protections that have been in place for decades 
and would open the door for political abuse and witch-hunts, 
effectively creating a mechanism where career federal employees could 
be removed because of their views or political affiliation. If passed, 
it would turn 400 Senior Executives at the VA--including many who 
served in the armed services and are veterans themselves--into at-will 
employees.
  Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more important than providing for the 
men and women who have made so many sacrifices for our country. 
However, this bill merely provides a knee-jerk public relations 
response to a serious problem, and glosses over the real systemic 
issues we need to address at the Veterans' Administration.

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