Rep. Costello: Veterans Affairs Oversight and Reform a Top Priority

By

Rep Ryan Costello
Congressman Costello speaks with PA-6 veterans during a recent District Work Week.

By Rep. Ryan Costello, Pennsylvania’s Sixth District

It has been a little over 100 days since the 114th Congress was sworn into office and we have wasted no time getting to work to pass meaningful, bipartisan-supported legislation to get America moving again.

However, we still have a lot to do to get our economy back on track, create jobs for the millions of Americans who are unemployed or are struggling to find work, and to ensure future generations are able to prosper.Ryan Costello

My role on two vital committees – the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – will allow me to offer substantive reforms to the many challenges our great nation faces.

Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to those who serve in our military, and that includes ensuring they receive the best care possible. I am not a veteran, so I view my role on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee as my unique opportunity to serve those who have put their lives on the line for our great nation.

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee has the critical task of ensuring our veterans receive the best benefits and care possible, while conducting our Constitutional authority of oversight of the plagued Department of Veterans Affairs. In the first 100 days the House has passed H.R. 22: the “Hire More Heroes Act,” to encourage small businesses to hire veterans by exempting an employee with DOD or VA healthcare coverage from counting towards a small business’ full-time employee threshold. Additionally, Congress passed H.R. 203: the “Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act,” which promotes mental healthcare and suicide prevention for our veterans. I am pleased that the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act was signed into law by President Obama back in February – a sign that bipartisan, bicameral commonsense legislation is possible.

While I have hit the ground running on legislation to help our veterans in many ways, another area where I am looking to immediately help is to bring accountability to the Philadelphia VA Regional Office. The Philadelphia VA Regional Office serves and oversees benefits for over 825,000 veterans in our region, and so many veterans in PA-06 and Chester County rely on this office.

The Coatesville Veteran Affairs Medical Center.
The Coatesville Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

Sadly, this office has been overwhelmed with reports of mismanagement. In April, I spent one afternoon at the Philadelphia VA Regional Office to meet with VA employees who have come forward to shed light on the dysfunction.

Following the release of the Office of the Inspector General’s report on the Philadelphia VA Regional Office, it was clear that purposeful wrongdoing and managerial incompetence permeated the workplace at the expense of our nation’s veterans.  Data was in fact manipulated, claims were disregarded, and duplicative payments were made. There is a toxic and dysfunctional work environment at the Philadelphia VA, and a serious lack of trust amongst the employees with management. As the facility continues to implement the 35 recommendations of the OIG report, one thing is clear: it is time for a complete culture change—starting with firing those responsible for the dysfunctional daily operations that have grossly failed our veterans.

The report was elaborated on at a recent Congressional hearing, where we heard from senior Philadelphia VA officials, whistleblowers who were employed at the Philly VA Regional Office, as well as representatives from the Inspector General’s Office. In the coming weeks, I will continue to thoroughly examine the 35 recommendations from the Inspector General and their testimony from the Congressional hearing. I am committed to ensuring the wrongdoings are fully righted as expeditiously and effectively as possible and that we hold those responsible fully accountable for their intentional misconduct.

US colors flying above the POW/MIA Flag behind the VA Medical Center.
US colors flying above the POW/MIA flag behind the VA Medical Center.

Therefore, I joined the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller in leading legislation that would authorize the VA Secretary to fire any agency employee for bad performance or misconduct. Instead of disciplining corrupt or failing employees, the VA will frequently transfer them to another facility or waste taxpayer dollars by placing them on paid leave. This is unacceptable and just furthers the systemic problems at the VA facilities. The “VA Accountability Act” will bring much needed accountability.

In another effort to instill accountability, I recently introduced H.R. 1038: the “Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act,” which would ensure that specific disciplinary actions remain within the employee’s record as long as they are with the Department. This bill is currently working through the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Additionally, we must ensure our local veterans have the resources available for economic opportunities upon returning home. The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) serves as an opportunity to help returning soldiers excel in civilian life, find employment, and better utilize the benefits available to them through the VA.  In order to ensure that TAP starts as a priority while our service members are serving in the military, I am working on legislation that would direct the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to allow servicemembers eligible for assistance under TAP to elect to receive the training provided by TAP. Lastly, I have also cosponsored H.R. 832: the “Veterans Employment and Training Service Longitudinal Study Act,” to ensure veterans are receiving effective and successful employment training services for their long-term success.

Just recently, I had the chance to visit with young veterans at a forum hosted by the West Chester Student Veterans Group and the Chester County Department of Veterans Affairs. It was a privilege to talk with these young veterans, thank them for their service, highlight ways to help them with economic opportunity, and ensure they receive the best education possible at an affordable cost. I thank the West Chester Student Veterans Group for their leadership on this initiative. During my first four months in Congress, I have also had the privilege of hearing from several veterans groups during their Washington, D.C. visits and in PA-06, including the Lebanon VA, the Pennsylvania National Guard, and the Coatesville VA.

There is still a lot of work to be done to thank those who have given so much to protect our great nation. I look forward to continuing to update you and our Chester County veterans on my efforts in Congress.

——–

Rep. Ryan CostelloCongressman Ryan Costello serves portions of Berks, Chester, Lebanon and Montgomery Counties. He graduated from Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown and earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Ursinus College and the Villanova School of Law. Ryan, his wife Christine, and their newborn son Ryan Jr. live in West Chester.

Connect With Your Community

Subscribe to stay informed!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement
Creative Capital logo