McCain Applauds House Passage of Bill to Enhance Accountability & Protect Whistleblowers at VA

Press Release

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today applauded the House of Representatives for passing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, bipartisan legislation he cosponsored in the Senate 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 27 other senators also cosponsored the bill, which passed the Senate unanimously on June 6, 2017. The legislation will now go to President Trump's desk for signature.

Specifically, this legislation would provide the VA Secretary the authority 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.

"I applaud the House of Representatives for passing this much-needed legislation to enhance accountability and protect whistleblowers at the VA," said Senator McCain. "It is unacceptable that more than three years after the scandal in care in Phoenix and around the country in which dozens of veterans died while waiting on non-existent lists, only one VA employee has been fired. Our legislation would correct the archaic and broken civil service system that has prevented the VA Secretary from removing bad actors, and strengthen protections for whistleblowers who are committed to the health and wellbeing of veterans. We have a long way to go to fully change the culture that led to the scandal in care at the VA, but this legislation is an important step in the right direction."

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