Rep. Davis Votes to Hold VA Accountable

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today voted in support of H.R. 4031, the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014, bipartisan legislation to make it easier for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to remove underperforming executives. The House overwhelmingly approved the legislation by a vote of 390-33.

"The VA has more than 300,000 workers and many of them are dedicated to helping our nation's veterans, but, just like any organization, it has bad actors," said Davis, a co-sponsor of the legislation. "For too long, some within the VA have failed veterans and their fellow employees, yet they have retained their jobs and in many cases have received bonuses of up to $63,000. So the House today passed the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 to hold these problem employees accountable by making it easier for them to be removed. Hopefully we can take more commonsense steps like this to right some of the wrongs caused by the VA to our nation's veterans. "

On May 12, Rep. Davis joined 15 House Republicans in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to request the immediate resignation of Secretary Eric Shinseki, Under Secretary Robert Petzel, and Under Secretary Allison Hickey.

Background:

Recent media reports have highlighted severe mismanagement and a lack of accountability across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Reports of preventable veteran deaths, "secret" waiting lists intended to conceal the lengthy wait times for patients, and an increased claims backlog have corresponded with bonuses and positive performance reviews for VA management.

Congress established the Senior Executive Service (SES) in 1978 to "provide a government-wide, mobile corps of managers within federal agencies. The SES, comprising mostly career appointees who are chosen through a merit staffing process, is the link between the politically appointed heads of agencies and the career civil servants within those agencies. The creators of the SES envisioned it as a cadre of high-level managers in the government who would provide leadership for agencies across administrations and ensure productivity and efficiency within the government." Currently, a performance-based removal of an SES employee is a cumbersome, multi-step process. H.R. 4031 authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to bypass the existing process and remove SES managers whose performance warrants it. The bill allows such employees to be removed in the same manner as a professional staff member of a Member of Congress.

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