Senate Democrats, Washington Dysfunction Stand In Way Of Reforming VA

With veterans continuing to experience long waiting periods for appointments, endless backlogs and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) bureaucrats still being protected from being held accountable for incompetence, negligence and outright corruption, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today called for Senate passage of ‎the VA Accountability Act, which he introduced earlier this year. Rubio's effort was blocked by Senate Democrats committed to the status quo.

The bill would expand on the “Increasing VA Accountability to Veterans Act of 2015” Rubio co-sponsored in January by giving the VA secretary the authority to terminate any employees for performance-related issues, not just managers. It mirrors legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL).

Rubio’s request for unanimous consent was objected to, and the bill was blocked from passage.

A transcript of Rubio’s full remarks is available here: http://1.usa.gov/1M6gSQv