FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24,
2016
CONTACT: Brian Baluta, baluta@heck4nevada.us
Dr. Joe Heck: It’s time for the Senate to pass the VA
Accountability Act
LAS
VEGAS – Iraq veteran, brigadier
general in the Army Reserve, and U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Joe Heck
today called on the Senate to pass the stalled VA Accountability Act to
challenge
what he describes as the agency’s defensive culture, which too often put
excuses ahead of solving problems. He released the following
statement:
“Secretary McDonald’s double down on his callous remarks invoking Disneyland is alarming because it suggests the defensive culture among management at the VA, which lead to the falsification of wait-time reports in the first place, persists under his leadership.
“As Christopher Neiweem of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said, ‘The status quo of VA claiming it is taking enough corrective action in a timely fashion is simply not a view veterans share across the country.’
“The remedy to the VA’s culture of excuses is a needed dose of accountability. Unfortunately, the federal civil service, which makes it extremely difficult to remove negligent or unethical employees, remains an obstacle to such reform. That is why last summer the U.S. House, with my support, passed the VA Accountability Act, which would enable the VA to fire employees who are not putting veterans’ care first. It also includes whistleblower protections to help foster a culture of accountability there.
“The VA Accountability Act is currently being blocked by a Senate Democrat and the President has threatened to veto it. Accountability should not be a partisan issue. I call on the Senate to take the outcry over Secretary McDonald’s comments as an opportunity to address what is so clearly a root cause of the VA’s dysfunction.
“Every day that the VA’s accountability problem goes unaddressed, taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill for the salaries of failed bureaucrats. Our veterans have given us all they have. Seeing that they get the care and benefits they need, earned and deserve is the very least we can do.”
“Secretary McDonald’s double down on his callous remarks invoking Disneyland is alarming because it suggests the defensive culture among management at the VA, which lead to the falsification of wait-time reports in the first place, persists under his leadership.
“As Christopher Neiweem of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said, ‘The status quo of VA claiming it is taking enough corrective action in a timely fashion is simply not a view veterans share across the country.’
“The remedy to the VA’s culture of excuses is a needed dose of accountability. Unfortunately, the federal civil service, which makes it extremely difficult to remove negligent or unethical employees, remains an obstacle to such reform. That is why last summer the U.S. House, with my support, passed the VA Accountability Act, which would enable the VA to fire employees who are not putting veterans’ care first. It also includes whistleblower protections to help foster a culture of accountability there.
“The VA Accountability Act is currently being blocked by a Senate Democrat and the President has threatened to veto it. Accountability should not be a partisan issue. I call on the Senate to take the outcry over Secretary McDonald’s comments as an opportunity to address what is so clearly a root cause of the VA’s dysfunction.
“Every day that the VA’s accountability problem goes unaddressed, taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill for the salaries of failed bureaucrats. Our veterans have given us all they have. Seeing that they get the care and benefits they need, earned and deserve is the very least we can do.”
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