'It Does Not Take A Rocket Scientist': Jen Kiggans Urges More Oversight At VA Office

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During a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing before the Congressional Recess, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) spoke about work that still needs to be done to prevents fraud at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Transcript

00:00Dr. Steele and Dr. Elliott, thank you to each of you for coming to testify today.

00:05The solution is not just identifying weak policies, but following through with the guardrails

00:09that ensure effective oversight.

00:11It is clear more attention needs to be focused on ensuring the VA is following Congress's

00:15intention when paying these incentives.

00:18The fact that we are still having a conversation on this issue after more than a decade since

00:22the OIG's 2017 report on improper bonus payments indicates we must do something different.

00:29It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that providing quality and safe patient

00:33care is a better use of tax dollars and accounting mistakes.

00:37These bonuses, when used correctly, enable the VA to pay attractive salaries to valuable clinical

00:41staff and other VA employees who serve our veterans.

00:45These incentive payments should go to staff dedicated to providing world-class care for

00:48our veterans.

00:50When the VA cannot retain its good employees or recruit talented staff, patient care is

00:54the first to suffer.

00:55I have seen this firsthand as a nurse practitioner.

00:58I will not allow that to happen while I am Chairwoman of this subcommittee.

01:02I am encouraged that OIG identified better documentation as a means of improving the bonus payment

01:06processes as well.

01:08Aside from the ways stemming from the improper payments, it is not possible to conduct a thorough

01:12review of where processes went wrong when there is no paper trail.

01:16That is why I was happy to vote with my House colleagues yesterday for Senate Bill 423,

01:20the Protecting Regular Order for Veterans, or PRO Act.

01:23This bipartisan bill would provide additional guardrails on incentive payments paid to members

01:27of the Senior Executive Service, and I hope the VA will take them seriously.

01:31I am looking forward to further collaboration with Secretary Collins and the Trump Administration

01:35to assist with our oversight efforts.

01:37I am grateful for the clarity that today's testimony offers.

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