David Case, acting inspector general for the Department of Veterans Affairs, testifies before the House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations on Feb. 6, 2025. (VA Office of the Inspector General)
WASHINGTON — Employee misconduct, malfunctioning computer systems, confusing policies and program inefficiencies hamper operations at the Department of Veterans Affairs, despite the hard work of most personnel, the VA’s acting inspector general told lawmakers Thursday.
In written and oral testimony, David Case testified at a House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations hearing that problems often are identified but persist because of mismanagement, persistent staff vacancies and a lack of follow-through on disciplining employees.
“Shortages of qualified personnel in key positions have made it difficult for VA to carry out its goals and functions. Having the right people in the right positions committed to doing the right thing is essential to building workforce accountability, as is instilling that sense of responsibility in new hires,” Case said.
He fielded questions from lawmakers about reports of VA leadership at medical centers failing to address performance problems with workers who do not carry out their responsibilities.
“Last Congress, this committee found countless instances where employees were not held accountable for their actions. Too many times bureaucracy is put first and veterans come in second,” committee chairwoman Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Ill., said at the start of the hearing.
“Protecting bad employees from the consequences of failing the veterans they serve is unacceptable,” she said.
The Restore VA Accountability Act, re-introduced by Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill, who is chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, would impose tougher standards for holding leaders accountable, Kiggans said.
The bill would authorize the VA to remove from civil service, demote or suspend VA supervisors or managers, according to language in the legislation.
The VA is working to strengthen accountability among personnel with a focus on improving day-to-day operations at VA hospitals and clinics, said Ted Radway, acting assistant secretary in the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection.
“Accountability starts long before we propose disciplinary actions,” he said.
The agency is developing rules and policies that better outline expectations for behavior and performance and consequences for failing to meet expectations.
In fiscal 2024, the VA took 5,875 actions to remove, suspend or demote employees for performance problems, said Tracey Therit, the VA’s chief human capital officer.
Employees are disciplined under Title 5 authorities that are legally defensible, she said. “We make sure the employee does not come back if we remove them, so we don’t reinstate bad actors,” she said.
Title 5 refers to a section of the U.S. Code that governs VA personnel and employment.
But Case suggested that ineffective policies and practices serve to undermine employee performance and the delivery of veterans benefits and services.
“OIG (Office of the Inspector General) leaders have testified before this subcommittee and other congressional committees many times in the past about enhancing accountability at VA. There are several recurring themes and deficiencies that remain unchanged,” he said.
He outlined the need for clarity of roles and responsibilities, adequate and qualified staffing, updated computers and other business processes, quality assurance monitoring and leadership that fosters responsibility.
He said the OIG’s investigations of individual hospitals and clinics offer a roadmap for improvement for all VA’s hospitals and clinics.
Some Democratic lawmakers pushed back. They defended the VA and its employees and said political pressure from the Trump administration was making the VA a target.
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said VA employees are blamed for deficiencies as a strategy to terminate personnel and reduce the federal workforce. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., accused the Trump administration of creating chaos within the VA.
Kiggans admonished the Democratic lawmakers for their comments. “Partisan games have no place when veterans’ lives are on the line,” she said.
