Walz, Colleagues Call for Withholding Bonuses from VA Officials

Press Release

Walz, Colleagues Call for Withholding Bonuses from VA Officials

Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN) announced today that he will cosponsor legislation to freeze funds for all bonuses slated to be paid to senior level Veterans' Affairs Department officials in fiscal year 2007. The legislation, authored by Rep. John Hall (D-NY) will prevent bonuses from being distributed until the backlog of veterans benefit cases is reduced to less than 100,000 claims.

"The VA is sitting on a backlog of over 600,000 benefits cases," said Walz, "and yet the VA political appointees responsible for this dismal performance awarded themselves the largest bonuses in the federal government. My colleagues and I are outraged to see money intended for the care of our veterans distributed to those who are letting our veterans down."

Walz serves on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and is the highest ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress. The legislation comes after revelations last week that VA officials received more than $3.8 million in fiscal year 2006 bonuses despite a budget shortfall at the VA of more than $1 billion. Several officials received bonuses of up to $33,000, including the Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits, who is responsible for managing more than 600,000 backlogged cases, which have an average wait time of 177 days.

"I have lost confidence in Secretary Nicholson and a number of the VA's senior officials," said Walz. "I intend to give the Secretary a chance to explain himself to the Veterans' Affairs Committee this week. If the Secretary cannot prove that those bonuses were based on significant documented successes that I am currently unaware of, then Secretary Nicholson should step down."

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