House Veterans Affairs Committee
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The House Veterans Affairs Committee also discussed several of the recommendations from the VA Commission on Care's report. Lawmakers generally agreed with the majority of the 18 suggestions, but issues of leadership at the Veterans Health Administration will likely be the sticking point in future debates over VA transformation.
September 07, 2016 -
The Obama administration said it agreed with most of the VA Commission on Care's recommendations to improve veterans health care, adding that the department had started efforts to implement many of them already. President Barack Obama said he disagreed with three of the 18 suggestions.
September 02, 2016 -
The House passed a bill that would change the way agencies discipline and remove federal employees and members of the Senior Executive Service. One provision would put all SES members under the same, expedited disciplinary process that senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department had until the Justice Department challenged its constitutionality.
July 06, 2016 -
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wants to get a closer look at how many political appointees the Office of Personnel Management has converted to career employees over the past nine months.
July 01, 2016 -
Some documents related to veterans' disability claims are getting thrown out at Veterans Affairs regional offices, but the VA and its inspector general disagree whether the problem is a systemic issue or one that can be explained by human error.
June 15, 2016 -
Veterans and agency hiring managers have mixed thoughts on the success of the veterans preference program. But there is some consensus that current regulations are too confusing and complex for both veterans and agencies.
April 21, 2016 -
The Veterans Affairs Department says nearly 97 percent of veterans received an appointment at a VA medical center within 30 days. But the Government Accountability Office says otherwise. GAO's own study suggests average wait times range from 22 to 71 days for an appointment.
April 20, 2016 -
Negotiations between the House and Senate VA committees over a new veterans omnibus have stalled, as the Veterans Affairs Department releases more details in its plan to change accountability procedures for its senior executives.
April 07, 2016 -
Following an investigation by VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson, the agency is recommending a combination of reduced pay and suspension for four VA leaders involved in relocation “impropriety.”
March 23, 2016 -
Congress is beginning to get a clearer picture of the Veterans Affairs Department's new Choice Program, which lets veterans access private sector community care providers if they choose. But members on the House VA Committee question the department's continued involvement in scheduling appointments for veterans.
March 22, 2016 -
The House Veterans Affairs Committee is considering legislation to give the VA secretary the authority to set pay and performance appraisals for medical directors. It also includes several provisions that are designed to help the VA attract and hire more doctors and nurses.
March 17, 2016 -
More than half of current and former senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department oppose the VA's proposal to reclassify some SES members under Title 38, according to the preliminary results of a recent survey from the Senior Executives Association.
March 10, 2016 -
Some members of Congress are taking aim at the Merit Systems Protection Board, after it released its third decision in nearly a month to reverse punishments for senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department. MSPB is standing by its decisions, arguing that it must comply with the 2014 Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act.
February 16, 2016 -
VA Secretary Bob McDonald and Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson are working with Congress on a proposal that would strip senior agency executives of their rights to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board when they face disciplinary action. But the proposal faces growing criticism from the Senior Executives Association and others.
February 12, 2016 -
The Veterans Affairs Department is asking for a 5 percent boost in across-the-board funding next fiscal year. But Congress is questioning whether new VA programs are doing enough to solve an array of tough problems at the department.
February 10, 2016