Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) voted today on landmark, bipartisan legislation to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs and improve care for veterans, after years of poor performance and scandal.
- 1094, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, streamlines the process to remove, demote or suspend any VA employee for poor performance or misconduct, while protecting employees’ due process rights and expanding protections for whistleblowers.
Messer spoke on the House Floor in support of the bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives today.
“The Veterans Accountability Act will hold bureaucrats accountable, make it easier to dismiss bad employees, and strengthen protections for whistleblowers. These are common sense reforms and long overdue,†Messer said in his remarks. “Our military men and women – our Hoosier heroes – fought to protect us, the least we can do is fight for them … to ensure they get quality care.â€
This bipartisan legislation is Congress’ latest response to VA scandals over the past few years, including waitlists so long they’ve been attributed to veterans’ deaths, theft and wrongful prescription of opioids nationally and locally in Cincinnati, and calls to the VA suicide hotline going unanswered.
- 1094 has already passed the U.S. Senate and now heads to the President’s desk.
VIDEO of Messer’s full remarks is available here.
