September 14, 2016

Acting Ranking Member Mark Takano Issues Statement on Passage of H.R. 5620

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Acting Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 5620, the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016, with unanimous Republican support.

“All of us – Democrats and Republicans – believe in stronger accountability for employees at the VA to ensure that our veterans get the care they deserve. Unfortunately, this legislation will fall short of that goal and – in doing so –significantly delay efforts to hold VA employees more accountable for effectively supporting the brave men and women who served.

“Several provisions in this bill violate the constitutional right to due process granted to VA employees, 30 percent of whom are veterans themselves. As opposed to a sustainable system that addresses cases of underperformance and misconduct, this legislation would produce a flood of court challenges that will come at great cost to taxpayers while delaying justice for veterans. Employees punished under this legislation, no matter how egregious their behavior, would have a path to a successful appeal.

“I am also frustrated that the Majority has packaged this partisan legislation, which faces strong opposition in the Senate, with a desperately needed fix for the VA appeals process. If introduced as a standalone bill, the VA Appeals Modernization Act would pass the House with overwhelming bipartisan support to address the 450,000 outstanding appeals at the VA. Instead, as a part of H.R. 5620, its fate is tied to a controversial accountability bill that is unlikely to ever become law.

“Accordingly, I do not believe this bill does right by our veterans or the employees that serve them. I remain hopeful we can come together to find a compromise on accountability legislation that both parties can support and that our justice system will uphold.”