Last week, the House passed the Veteran’s Administration (VA) Accountability First Act. We owe our military a debt we can never repay and this bill is a step in the right direction to bring reform to the VA. The bill provides the VA Secretary the flexibility needed to remove, demote, or suspend any VA employee for lack of performance or misconduct. This provides accountability for VA employees who fail to provide our veterans the service they deserve.
Additionally, the bill also protects VA whistleblowers who have been critical in exposing the dilapidated conditions within the VA system. It’s past time the VA holds its employees accountable. As a small business owner, it is my responsibility to maintain high expectations and accountability to ensure our employees are providing customers high-quality service. We should expect no less from the VA.
The VA’s sole responsibility is to serve our military and there is no excuse for those for failure in this duty. Our military men and women deserve the highest level of care and service from the government they have dedicated their lives to defending.
This week, the House also passed H.R. 1259, the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. The bill stops the VA from labeling a veteran assisted by a fiduciary as “mentally defective” without due process. The burden of proof should never be on an individual but always on the court.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.
