Senate Committee Passes Bill Cosponsored by Senator John McCain to Enhance Accountability & Protect Whistleblowers at VA
Press Release
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today applauded the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee's passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, bipartisan legislation he cosponsored that would reform the VA by allowing the VA Secretary to dismiss bad employees, and ensure appropriate due process protections for whistleblowers. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and 19 other senators are cosponsors of the bill. The bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote on final passage.
Specifically, the legislation would authorize the VA Secretary to discipline employees at all levels, and hold them accountable for their wrongdoing. It would also protect whistleblowers from retaliation and reprisal, require training of all VA employees about whistleblower protections, streamline the authority for the VA Secretary to rescind bonuses and relocation expense reimbursement when necessary, and allow reductions to certain retirement pensions upon conviction for misconduct.
"This legislation is an important step forward in correcting the archaic and broken civil service system that has prevented the VA Secretary from removing bad actors, including those responsible for the scandal in care in Phoenix and around the country," said Senator McCain. "This legislation provides the VA Secretary the authority needed to hold employees accountable for their wrongdoing, and strengthens protections for whistleblowers who are committed to the health and wellbeing of veterans. Our veterans deserve a VA they can have trust in, and these commonsense solutions are key to restoring that confidence. I appreciate the committee passing our bill today, and urge my colleagues to take up and support this much-needed measure for our veterans."
"We applaud today's bipartisan committee vote to advance this critical legislation that will help change the culture and improve accountability at the VA," said the 24 sponsoring senators following today's committee vote. "We hope the Senate will follow suit and take up this bipartisan legislation without delay so that VA Secretary Shulkin has the tools he needs to hold bad actors accountable and protect whistleblowers from the threat of retaliation."
Source