Cramer Statement on Passage of Legislation to Improve Accountability and Choice for Veterans Health Care

Statement

Congressman Kevin Cramer (R-ND) made the following comments after passage of HR 280, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to recoup bonuses and awards paid to employees of the Department of Veterans and HR 294, the Long-Term Veteran Choice Act, in the House of Representatives.

"Tonight I was happy to join with a bi-partisan majority of my colleagues to pass these bills to provide more accountability in the Department of Veterans Affairs and more choice in veterans' health care. HR 280 gives the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to recoup bonuses paid to employees of the department. Like every American, I was disgusted when I read the media reports of the corruption and abuses within the VA resulting in substandard care being provided to our veterans. Congressional oversight revealed abuses which ought to be punished. Under no circumstance should a public employee be eligible for a bonus when he or she has defrauded American veterans. The VA executives that presided over these abuses were rewarded with more than $380,000 in cash bonuses for falsifying medical wait times. This lack of accountability is at the heart of the many of the VA's most serious problems, and this bill gives the VA Secretary another tool to instill some much needed accountability throughout the department. I look forward to working with the Secretary to ensure our veterans receive the best standard of care possible like veterans receive at the VA facility in Fargo."

"HR 294, the Long-Term Care for Veterans Choice Act, will allow 900 veterans to enter into a contract or agreement with certified medical foster homes. Currently the VA doesn't have the authority to allow veterans to choose to live in medical foster homes versus a traditional nursing home. This bill helps expand health care choices for veterans and gives them more freedom in their health care decisions."

The expanded use of medical foster homes will be paid for by cutting the amount funds available for bonuses for VA employees by $60 million for the next three years.

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