House Continues Work to Reform the VA

Statement

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) released the following statement on House passage of two bipartisan bills to provide choice for veterans and rescind bonuses paid to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees:

"Last year with the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, Congress voted to begin the process of reforming the VA. Several months later, the VA's progress is slow. Veterans still can't get the care they need, efforts to expand access to private care have been insufficient, and too many bad employees remain on payroll.

"The VA needs accountability and it needs to put veterans' care first by allowing greater choice. In the House's continued efforts to provide compassionate care for our veterans and hold the VA accountable, we passed two bills by a unanimous vote today. First, we voted to authorize the VA to enter into contracts with certified medical foster homes in order to provide ailing veterans the choice of quality long-term care. We also passed a bill to allow the Secretary of the VA to rescind bonuses paid to employees who were not properly caring for veterans. It's a long road ahead for the VA, but the House will not stop until we achieve the reform our veterans need."

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