Legislation holds the VA accountable
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Dean Heller (R-NV), released the following statements after their Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act (S. 114) passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to annually report on the bonuses awarded to critical positions within the VA, including VA Regional Office (VARO) directors, VA hospital directors, and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) directors.
“Transparency and accountability at the VA are essential to ensuring that our Veterans receive the highest quality care,” Senator Casey said. “The American people deserve to know what VA senior leaders are making in bonuses. This necessary measure will improve accountability and transparency by requiring annual reports on bonuses awarded to senior VA employees around the country.”
“Like many veterans around the country, Nevada’s veterans continue to face challenges when it comes to the VA and that’s why I work closely with my Veterans Advisory Councils to identify problems at the local level and solutions to fix them,” said Senator Heller. “While I have no doubt that many of the VA’s employees work hard to take care of our veterans, we need to ensure their bonuses only reflect high-quality performance. We know that greater transparency will improve the quality of care our veterans receive, and the Senate’s passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act is a positive step forward toward achieving it.”
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