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Washington, DC – Last night, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) voted in support of H.R. 1994, the VA Accountability Act of 2015.

H.R. 1994 builds off of previous legislation to provide increased protections for whistleblowers who call attention to performance issues at VA facilities.  It also establishes a clear route to fire employees who cannot meet their basic performance standards, while preserving the appeals process.

“There is no question that most VA employees provide a great service to our veterans and maintain a high level of professionalism.  Unfortunately, there are a small number of bad actors and much of the attention has focused on their misdeeds,” said Congressman Guthrie.  “As Congress continues to investigate the shortcomings at VA facilities across the country, we continue to hear that it is difficult to fire VA employees whose performance does not meet the necessary standards.” 

H.R. 1994 will develop more enhanced performance measures that employees must meet.  The bill will also extend the probationary period for all new VA employees from 12 months to 18 months.

“Kentucky veterans rely greatly on VA facilities.  Many veterans speak highly about the excellent care they have received and continue to expect from the VA.  We must ensure that all veterans seeking care experience this high level of service, and H.R. 1994 provides a way to weed out the handful of employees who are not meeting the requirements of their jobs, while protecting the many employees who are performing at a high level,” added Congressman Guthrie.

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