House Passes Huelskamp-Supported Legislation to Increase VA Accountability and Expand Health Care for our Veterans

Press Release

Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) voted for two important bills to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The House of Representatives passed H.R. 280 and H.R. 294 with bipartisan support; both bills were referred to the Senate for further consideration.

H.R. 280, would give the VA Secretary the authority to take back any performance rewards or bonuses, including incentive awards. This would allow the Secretary to increase funding for Veterans' care by withdrawing bonuses and incentives paid to VA employees who were involved in corrupt dealings to create the appearance of higher productivity. H.R. 294 would authorize the VA to enter into a contract or agreement with a certified medical foster home to pay for long-term care for up to 900 eligible veterans and place a cap on employee bonuses and incentives.

"Passage of these two bills continues my fight to bring much-needed accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs and provide more health care options for our Veterans. Particularly important, the legislation includes critical reforms to a system that has rewarded bureaucrats with big bonuses for sub-par work, an issue I originally exposed nearly two years ago in our investigations of the massive VA scandals. One thing is certain: anyone who has cooked the books, denied care to our Veterans, and enriched themselves through VA bonuses should not only lose their bonus, but also their jobs. The job of improving care for our Veterans is far from over."

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