Rep. Tom Graves and the U.S. House approved a bill to streamline the process for terminating senior management officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs who are failing to perform their duties.
“Reports about the awful treatment of America’s veterans are growing more disturbing every day,” said Rep. Graves. “The men and women who answered the call to serve, and in many cases rushed into harm’s way on behalf of our country, should not return home only to die waiting in line for the care we promised to provide.
Fixing the VA requires accountability, and this legislation helps provide it by allowing the swift termination of senior officials who have failed to do their jobs.”
Specifically, the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 (H.R. 4031) gives the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to remove a VA employee of the Senior Executive Service —federal employees in a management capacity— from the Department or from federal service entirely, if such action is warranted. This new authority would replace the slow, multi-step process for removing SES employees that is currently in place.