[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 85 (Monday, May 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2363-H2364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  VA TRANSPARENCY & TRUST ACT OF 2021

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2911) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit 
to Congress a plan for obligating and expending Coronavirus pandemic 
funding made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2911

       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 ``VA Transparency & Trust Act 
     of 2021''.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 
                   FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE TO DEPARTMENT OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Plan and Reports by Secretary.--
       (1) Plan.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     House of Representatives and the Senate a detailed plan for 
     obligating and expending covered funds, including a detailed 
     justification for each type of obligation of such funds.
       (2) Biweekly reports.--Every 14 days during the period 
     beginning on the date on which the plan under paragraph (1) 
     is submitted and ending seven days after the date on which 
     the Secretary has expended all covered funds, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     House of Representatives and the Senate a report detailing 
     the obligation and expenditure of, and the planned uses for, 
     such funds during the period covered by the report, including 
     a written justification for any deviation in such 
     obligations, expenditures, or planned uses from such plan.
       (b) Inspector General Audits.--Not later than 120 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually 
     thereafter for three years or until the Secretary has 
     expended all covered funds, whichever occurs first, the 
     Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall 
     submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate a report examining the 
     obligations and expenditures made using covered funds during 
     the period covered by the report. Each such report shall 
     include--
       (1) a comparison of how the funds are being obligated and 
     expended to how the funds were planned to be obligated and 
     expended in the plan under subsection (a)(1);
       (2) areas of waste, fraud, and abuse, if any; and
       (3) any other matter the Inspector General determines 
     relevant.
       (c) Comptroller General Reviews.--
       (1) Interim report.--Not later than September 30, 2022, the 
     Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
     Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate an interim report containing a 
     review of obligations and expenditures made using covered 
     funds. The report shall include--
       (A) a review of the process of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs for preparing the request for funds;
       (B) an explanation of how the expenditure of such funds met 
     the goals of the Department during the public health 
     emergency for which the funds were made available;
       (C) any recommendations to improve the process of 
     identifying needs and expending funds during similar 
     situations in the future; and
       (D) a review of the plans of the Department to continue 
     programs or investments that were begun with such funds but 
     will continue after such funds are expended.
       (2) Final report.--Not later than September 30, 2024, the 
     Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
     Senate a final report on the matters specified under 
     paragraph (1).
       (d) Covered Funds Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``covered funds'' means funds that are made available to the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to--
       (1) the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 
     116-127);
       (2) the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 
     (Public Law 116-136); or
       (3) the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-
     2).

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material on H.R. 2911.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support Representative Bost's bipartisan 
legislation, the VA Transparency & Trust Act, for which Representative 
Pappas, Representative Mann, and I are original cosponsors.
  This bill provides additional oversight for the funds Congress made 
available to the VA through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act 
and the CARES Act in 2020, as well as the American Rescue Plan, which 
we passed earlier this year.
  In addition to requiring the VA to report biweekly on how it spends 
these supplemental funds, the bill mandates the VA Office of Inspector 
General and the Government Accountability Office to periodically report 
on VA's spending of these funds.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2911 adds to the existing oversight on VA's 
spending and will enable greater transparency for Congress and the 
public to ensure that these funds are spent efficiently and effectively 
to support critical VA programs and services as we recover from the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2911, the VA 
Transparency & Trust Act of 2021.
  In the American Rescue Plan, the VA requested and received $17.1 
billion in emergency funding. I demanded justification from the VA to 
support that funding, and very little came. I asked why the VA needed 
additional money since roughly $10 billion in CARES Act funding was 
still available, and no one answered.
  Ranking Member Tracey Mann offered an amendment to oversee the use of 
those funds during the committee's markup of the American Rescue Plan. 
It was voted down on party lines.
  What I feared at that time I can now confirm. The American Rescue 
Plan has essentially become a blank check for the VA to the tune of 
$17.1 billion.
  H.R. 2911 would establish strict oversight and reporting requirements 
over all remaining COVID supplemental funds. It would also require the 
VA inspector general to conduct regular audits of these funds.
  Lastly, it would require the GAO to conduct a complete review after 
all funds have been spent.
  I believe these requirements are appropriate given that we are 
talking about tens of billions in taxpayer dollars. We should all 
expect full transparency on the use of these funds.
  I thank Chairman Pappas and Ranking Member Mann for joining me in 
introducing this bill. I encourage all my colleagues to support this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Hampshire (Mr. Pappas), my good friend and the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ranking Member Bost, 
for introducing this legislation. I was proud to support it alongside 
my colleague, Tracey Mann, from the Oversight and Investigations 
Subcommittee. It is the VA Transparency & Trust Act of 2021.
  Now, the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis turned our world 
upside down, and it hit our veteran community especially hard. The 
issues our veterans faced before the pandemic

[[Page H2364]]

have only been exacerbated by COVID-19, and they contend with a new 
host of health and financial hardships.
  That is why I joined with many in this Chamber to strongly urge for 
support to our veterans in COVID-19 relief packages, including the 
American Rescue Plan. That plan provided a much-needed investment in 
the VA, but we must all work together to ensure that this funding is 
used effectively to support our veterans and to increase the quality 
care that they receive.
  As chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, 
eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensuring veterans get the care 
they have earned is a top priority.
  This legislation would require the VA to report to Congress on the 
emergency funding that it has already received. It will provide the 
enhanced oversight that is warranted to ensure funds are being used 
efficiently and in ways that are truly meeting the needs of those who 
have served us all.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this legislation.
  Mr. BOST. 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 also ask all my colleagues to join me in 
passing H.R. 2911, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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. 2911.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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