- Contact the Committee

Good morning.  Today’s hearing will provide the Committee with an update on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Information Technology (IT) infrastructure reorganization, and learn more about the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) within the Department.   

VA’s IT modernization efforts go back at least 20 years to 1985, where it was the policy of the Veterans Administration to provide “better service to the veteran through modern technology.”  Despite 20 years of “modernizing,” this Committee has authorized, and Congress has appropriated roughly $10 billion over the last decade alone for VA IT spending. 

This is probably a very conservative figure, as historically VA has included funding for IT in the General Administration accounts of each of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. 

Since coming to Congress in 1993, I have witnessed this Committee struggle with VA’s inability to adequately manage its IT funding and IT modernization efforts.   

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations has conducted six separate hearings on VA IT and related issues since 2000.  GAO repeatedly reported that VA lacked an integrated Enterprise  IT Architecture. 

While there have been significant improvements in VA’s IT modernization efforts, the improvements have come at significant cost to our Veterans: 

-         $600 million plus for a decade of VETSNET – the automated compensation and pension claims processing system that still has not been implemented in 10 years.

-         $342 million for CoreFLS – the failed financial management system.

-         $300 million for the HR Links – the failed automated personnel system.

-         $485 million annually to maintain VISTA, VA’s 25 year-old medical information system. 

In FY 2004 and FY 2005, VA received $1.4 and $1.6 billion respectively for IT Funding.  For FY 2006, VA’s projected spending for IT will be approximately
$2.2 billion.  This lack of accountability in VA IT spending must stop!

Last year, VA was able to testify before the Committee that they are “well under way with an enterprise architecture that aims to align the business with the information technology plans, goals, and efforts.”  However, I am concerned that the structure in place lacks the authority to provide a better service to the veteran. 

Today, we will hear testimony from Gartner Consulting, VA’s own private IT consultant on what the VA needs to do more effectively to reorganize itself, and what the cost of letting the bureaucracy maintain the status quo.

That is why, I, along Ranking Member Evans and other distinguished Members of the Committee, will introduce legislation that will mandate the Department of Veterans Affairs to empower their Chief Information Officer with authority over resources, budget and personnel related to information technology for the Department.  I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member, the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Evans.