Sullivan introduces bill to hold VA accountable for financial shortfall

Senator Dan Sullivan, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced the Protecting Regular Order (PRO) for Veterans Act to hold the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accountable for a Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) budget shortfall of $3 billion.

This bill institutes a three-year requirement for the VA to submit quarterly in-person budget reports to Congress to encourage greater oversight and financial accountability. Additional financial shortfalls would result in the withholding of bonuses for senior VA and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) personnel.

“Telling Congress we have to provide $3 billion to the VA in a matter of days or our constituents won't get their benefits—without any accountability or reforms—is a shocking failure in leadership and management,” Senator Sullivan said during the Veterans’ Committee hearing on September 18.

“The VA has a duty to provide congressional oversight committees with high-quality, in-person briefings explaining these shortfalls in the future—earlier than just a month in advance,” he said, adding that it is incumbent upon Secretary Denis McDonough to appear before the committee and answer questions, although he has declined to do so.

“In light of this budgetary fiasco and the millions of dollars’ worth of bonuses improperly distributed to VA executives, I’ve put forward commonsense legislation to require the VA to abide by a basic level of accountability and oversight.”

The senator went on to say that the shortfall will be funded. “Our veterans deserve and rely upon their hard-earned benefits. But, going forward, our veterans also expect a much higher standard of accountability from VA leaders. I expect the Secretary and other VA leaders to come to the table with clear answers as to how these deficiencies keep happening and how they are going to prevent them in the future.”

Senator Sullivan’s legislation is cosponsored by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)