[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 164 (Tuesday, September 22, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4679-H4680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AUTHORITY AND 
                       COLLABORATION ACT OF 2020

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6589) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop 
and submit to Congress a plan to address the material weakness of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6589

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration 
     Act of 2020''.

[[Page H4680]]

  


     SEC. 2. PLANS FOR ADDRESSING MATERIAL WEAKNESSES AND 
                   PROVIDING SUFFICIENT AUTHORITY TO CHIEF 
                   FINANCIAL OFFICER OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the three 
     subsequent years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting 
     through the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees--
       (1) an action plan, including steps, related timelines, 
     costs, progress, status of implementation, and any updates 
     for fully addressing the material weaknesses of the 
     Department discussed in the Management's Discussion and 
     Analysis section of the financial statements of the 
     Department submitted to Congress under section 3515 of title 
     31, United States Code for the year preceding the year during 
     which the report is submitted; and
       (2) a plan outlining the steps the Secretary plans to take 
     to address the recommendations of auditors related to entity-
     level internal controls and to provide sufficient authority 
     to the Chief Financial Officer of the Department to carry out 
     the requirements of section 902 of title 31, United States 
     Code.

     SEC. 3. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ATTESTATION.

       Concurrent with the submittal to Congress of the 
     President's budget request under section 1105 of title 31, 
     United States Code, for fiscal year 2022 and each of the next 
     three subsequent fiscal years, the Chief Financial Officer of 
     the Department of Veterans affairs shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees each of the following:
       (1) A certification of the responsibility of the Chief 
     Financial Officer for internal financial controls of the 
     Department.
       (2) An attestation that the Chief Financial Officer has 
     collaborated sufficiently with the subordinate chief 
     financial officers of the Department to be confident in the 
     financial projections included the budget request and 
     supporting materials.

     SEC. 4. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER RESPONSIBILITY FOR 
                   SUBORDINATE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS.

       (a) In General.--In accordance with the responsibilities of 
     the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs for the recruitment, selection, and training of 
     personnel to carry out agency financial management functions 
     pursuant to section 902(a)(5)(C) of title 31, United States 
     Code, the Chief Financial Officer or the designee of the 
     Chief Financial Officer within the Office of Management of 
     the Department shall--
       (1) participate in the interview and selection panels of 
     all subordinate chief financial officers; and
       (2) give input into the performance plans and performance 
     evaluations of all subordinate chief financial officers.
       (b) Termination.--The requirements under subsection (a) 
     shall terminate on the date that is five years after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means 
     the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations 
     of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
       (2) The term ``subordinate chief financial officer''--
       (A) includes--
       (i) the chief financial officer of the Veterans Health 
     Administration, the chief financial officer of the Office of 
     Community Care within the Veterans Health Administration, and 
     all chief financial officers of Veterans Integrated Service 
     Networks within the Veterans Health Administration;
       (ii) the chief financial officer of the Veterans Benefits 
     Administration and all chief financial officers of 
     organizational subdivisions representing business lines 
     within the Veterans Benefits Administration;
       (iii) the chief financial officer of the National Cemetery 
     Administration; and
       (iv) the chief financial officer of the Office of 
     Information and Technology; and
       (B) does not include the Inspector General.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P. 
Roe) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the comments 
that I made on my previous motion that I withdrew be inserted in the 
Record in conjunction with my motion to pass H.R. 6589, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6589, the VA Chief 
Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act.
  Each year, the Department of Veterans Affairs manages to pass its 
financial statement audit despite a number of persistent material 
weaknesses in what appears to be a stalemate. VA never quite loses its 
unqualified audit opinion but never materially improves either. We 
should expect more, especially with VA's budget approaching $250 
billion and its total liabilities reaching near $3.3 trillion.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Susie Lee from Nevada and 
General Jack Bergman from Michigan for sponsoring this bill to address 
the root cause of the problem, the VA's Chief Financial Officer's lack 
of operational authority over the dozens of lower level chief financial 
officers throughout VA.
  This bill would direct VA to develop a detailed action plan to 
resolve material weaknesses and require VA's Chief Financial Officer to 
attest to the Department's financial projections and internal controls 
in VA's annual budget submission.
  It would also strengthen VA's Chief Financial Officer's operational 
authority by involving them or their designee in the hiring and 
performance evaluations of subordinate chief financial officers.
  All of these reforms are consistent with the Chief Financial Officer 
Act of 1990.
  I support this legislation because it is a carefully crafted solution 
to an old problem with escalating consequences.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Lee and Dr. Roe for helping me bring this 
legislation to the floor. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in 
passing this very important piece of legislation, H.R. 6589.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cleaver). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6589, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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