U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump signed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act into law.
“The VA Accountability Act provides long-awaited and much-needed reforms to a department that has been mired in red tape for far too long. This legislation protects employees who are willing to call out bad behavior and gives the secretary the freedom necessary to dismiss employees who are not doing their job. Those who have served our country in the armed forces deserve a system that serves them. This legislation takes significant steps to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs, and I’m pleased to see the president sign this bill into law.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act gives the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary greater flexibility to terminate or demote agency employees based on performance, misconduct, or other issues related to employee accountability. It also increases protections for whistleblowers and expedites the placement of successful managers.