Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) today joined her House colleagues in approving legislation to improve accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs and ensure our nation’s Veterans receive the care they deserve. H.R. 1994, the VA Accountability Act of 2015, would provide the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increased flexibility in removing VA employees for performance misconduct.

H.R. 1994 would strengthen accountability and performance for VA Senior Executive Service (SES) employees. It would also provide improved protections for whistleblowers including restricting bonus awards for supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers.

“It is outrageous that in the year since the VA scandal broke, only THREE people have actually been fired from their positions. This is unacceptable and our veterans deserve better,” Blackburn said. “We have an obligation to honor the sacrifices our veterans have made to keep our nation free by working to ensure they are treated with the care and dignity they have earned. This legislation is about protecting the rights of those veterans using services at the VA versus protecting bureaucrats at the VA who underserve them. It takes important steps to implement necessary reforms that ensure America keeps its promise to our veterans.”

Blackburn, who has been a fierce advocate for Tennessee Veterans, recently met with representatives from the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) who voiced their support for H.R. 1994. Other Veterans groups supporting the legislation include Concerned Veterans for America, the American Legion, American Veterans (AMVETS), the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Student Veterans of America (SVA), Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), and the Reserve Officers Association (ROA).