With the nation honoring Veterans Day on Tuesday, this week U.S. VA Secretary Bob McDonald announced plans for a massive reorganization of the department as it tries to restore confidence after reports emerged that VA hospitals across the nation altered wait lists. But a leading Florida congressman wants more action and fewer words.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, asks how the nation can expect improvement until the VA stops dawdling and gets a move on to rid its house of the bad eggs?
Secretary McDonald took office after news of the altered wait lists rocked the department, forcing Eric Shinseki out as VA secretary. In Phoenix, where VA medical centers altered wait lists to show less of a backlog for treatment, 40 veterans died waiting for medical care.
McDonald told CNN on Monday the department had already disciplined 5,600 employees and some of them would be fired. In addition, he also promised more attention to customer service and plans to cut down on wait times. McDonald said the VA will work more with private organizations and streamline its current structure.
"This is going to be the largest reorganization of the Department of Veterans Affairs since its establishment," McDonald told CNN on Monday.
Responding to McDonald, Congressman Miller sounded a skeptical note on Monday.
New plans, initiatives and organizational structures are all well and good, but they will not produce their intended results until the VA rids itself of the employees who have shaken veterans trust in the system, Miller said. So far the VA hasnt done that -- as evidenced by the fact that the majority of those who caused the VA scandal are still on the department payroll.
"Im disappointed that instead of fully embracing the new firing authorities Congress and President Obama gave the VA as part of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, the department has shied away from them and even added more bureaucratic red tape such as additional appeals and interminable stints on paid leave.
As Miller noted, VA employees facing termination have a lengthy appeals process with the secretary needing to present his case for firing and judicial approval needed before the ax officially falls. Miller sponsored a bill to give the VA secretary more power to dismiss under-peforming or incompetent employees, but the Senate version, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., went nowhere in the Democratic Senate.
McDonald insisted Monday his office was following the new regulations Congress passed earlier this year in the aftermath of the scandal that cost Shinseki his job.
"We are acting aggressively, expeditiously and consistent with the law," McDonald told CNN on Monday.
The Florida Republican fired back that veterans deserve to have incompetent VA officials fired and that should be a slam dunk for the administration.
No one doubts that reforming the VA is a tough job, Miller said, but getting rid of failed executives should be the easiest part -- not the most difficult.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
