Daines: Accountability and Action Needed at the VA

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Representative Steve Daines today released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama's recent comments regarding reports of mismanagement, preventable deaths and deliberate manipulation of records at several Veterans Affairs (VA) health clinics:

"Montana's veterans deserve action and they deserve results--not more words. This administration needs to take responsibility for these disgraceful failures in service and hold VA leaders accountable. Leadership starts at the top. It's time for Secretary Shinseki to step down so that our veterans can receive the answers and services they deserve."

Daines first called for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign on May 7, following similar calls from other national veterans' organizations. Daines has long called for reforms to address longstanding delays in addressing veterans' benefits claims and to ensure that the VA more efficiently and effectively meets Montana veterans' needs.

Daines is a cosponsor of the "Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act" which would address the widespread and systemic lack of accountability for senior executives in the VA by giving the VA Secretary more latitude to discipline and fire executives who presided over negligence or mismanagement. The bill is set for a vote in the House later today.

Daines also recently helped pass the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which provides $7.5 billion for programs designed to address veterans' mental health needs and increases funding for suicide prevention outreach by $20 million.

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