Expressing the sense of the House with respect to accountability for mismanagement at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Bill: 113-hres-633
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Barrow, John [D-GA-12]
Introduced: 2014-06-20
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Department of Veterans Affairs

Federal officials

Government ethics and transparency, public corruption

Health care coverage and access

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2014-07-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-06-20
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that:</p> <ul> <li>actions by officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) represent a clear violation of the public's trust in the VA to provide veterans with access to quality health care and warrant criminal investigation,</li> <li>the inability of the Administration to objectively investigate its own wrongdoing warrants the appointment of a Special Counsel to determine whether VA mismanagement and misconduct were criminal, and</li> <li>the appointment of a Special Counsel would be in the public interest.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: IV 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 633 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 20, 2014 Mr. Barrow of Georgia (for himself and Mr. Cassidy ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House with respect to accountability for mismanagement at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Whereas revelations in 2013 unveiled a pattern of inefficiency and misconduct at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Clinics (VAMC) across the country; Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General conducted interviews with VA employees and inspected VA facilities across the country; Whereas on June 9, 2014, the VA released an initial audit of VA medical centers across the country, conducted by the VA Inspector General, detailing a pattern of mismanagement; Whereas the Inspector General’s audit found that VAMC scheduling staff were pressured by VA management to utilize inappropriate practices in order to make waiting times appear more favorable ; Whereas the VA will undergo a review to determine why some front-line, middle, and senior managers felt compelled to manipulate the VA’s scheduling process ; Whereas in at least two instances, survey participants believed someone, other than a scheduler, was routinely accessing records and changing desired dates in order to improve performance measures ; Whereas respondents felt threatened or coerced to alter patient appointment dates and reported having been sanctioned or punished over scheduling practices for not complying with supervisors’ orders to inappropriately enter or alter recorded desired dates ; and Whereas section 600.1 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, directs the Attorney General to appoint a Special Counsel when he or she determines that— (1) criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted ; (2) investigation or prosecution of that person or matter by a United States Attorney’s Office or litigating Division of the Department of Justice would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances ; and (3) under the circumstances, it would be in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to assume responsibility for the matter : Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of the House that— (1) actions by VA officials represent a clear violation of the public’s trust for the Department to provide access to quality health care for our Nation’s veterans and warrant criminal investigation; (2) the ability of the Administration to objectively investigate its own wrongdoing warrants a Special Counsel to determine whether mismanagement and misconduct at the VA was criminal; and (3) the appointment of a Special Counsel would be in the public interest.