Carl DeMaio Unveils Major VA Reform Plan, Receives Endorsement from Prominent Veterans and Former VA Sec. Principi

Press Release

Carl DeMaio today received a major endorsement from prominent veteran leaders, retired flag officers, and the fourth Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi. All cited DeMaio's expertise in government reform and plans to bring accountability and reform to the current Veterans Affairs administration.

"In Congress, Carl DeMaio will work tirelessly to ensure the men and women we send in harm's way receive the care they have earned through their sacrifices," said Principi. "We owe them nothing less," he continued.

This announcement comes on the heels of a sweeping three-point reform program DeMaio is proposing, which will bring both effectiveness and accountability to the dysfunctional VA program.

DeMaio's reform plan includes:

Changing current accountability structure to have one regional manager who oversees medical, budget, and cemetery responsibilities. Currently, each department manager oversees only each of these isolated structures.

Imposing merit-based pay increases for VA employees, rather than automatic step-up increases.

Bring aboard civilian auditors and efficiency experts that report exclusively to regional managers to bring accountability to the VA organization.

"Our veterans have fought for our freedoms and deserve the effective health care treatment that they've earned," said DeMaio. "My plan to bring reform to the VA is a small step to ensuring our veterans receive a high level of care," he continued.

Although the VA remains a bureaucratic bungle and the challenges remain complex, Former Secretary Principi expressed his belief that Carl DeMaio is the right person to bring solutions to the VA program.

"As the fourth Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I've seen many leaders come and go. But Carl DeMaio stands out because of his record of bringing reform and efficiency to government programs," Principi said. "And that's exactly the kind of leader we need in Washington," he continued.

These kinds of reforms won't come easy, as many have noted. However, DeMaio's demonstration of fixing government bureaucracies and reforming San Diego's massive pension system through bipartisan solutions was not lost on Principi.

"I know Carl can make these reforms happen because of his ability to work across the aisle -- something that's extremely important in today's dysfunctional Congress," Principi concluded in his endorsement of DeMaio.

"I'm thrilled to receive such an endorsement from Secretary Principi," said Carl DeMaio in his remarks at today's press conference. "Secretary Principi's endorsement should signal to San Diegans that I'm ready to bring improvement and accountability to our VA program -- something that I will proudly work to do because our veterans simply deserve quality care after fighting for our freedoms," concluded DeMaio.

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