Rogers: Reports of Veterans' Deaths "Appalling" and Must Stop

Statement

On the heels of media reports that American Veterans have died waiting for critical medical care appointments, Congressman Mike Rogers today announced his strong support for a bill to hold accountable senior VA employees that may have been responsible for the extended appointment waits.

Rogers said, "The recent reports of preventable deaths of Veterans while waiting for VA care are appalling and inexcusable. It is also greatly disturbing to learn that some senior executive managers at these specific VA centers received massive bonuses, and those bonuses were never tied to their performance. These senior managers have the duty and responsibility to make sure our Veterans get the care they deserve on time. If they can't do their jobs, then they should be fired."

HR 4031, the "Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014," would give the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to remove employees of the Senior Executive Service based on performance. "The senior leadership at the VA must be held accountable for their management performance. Once they are, then hopefully they will start to address the massive backlog of cases at the VA. I fully support House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller's call for an inspector general's investigation on these recent reports of preventable deaths and lavish bonuses," Rogers stated.

Recently, Rogers toured two Veterans Facilities that serve the Veterans of Alabama's Third District. Rogers added, "I have seen firsthand how important these types of facilities are to our Veterans. Our veterans answered the call of duty when our nation needed them. Our nation in turn must keep our promise we made to them."

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