News & Opinion

Lawmakers are keeping the Veterans Affairs Department on the hot seat over "unauthorized purchases" of pharmaceuticals in violation of federal acquisition regulations, even as VA officials insist they've slashed the number of improper buys from more than 70,000 last September to 434 in March — a 99 percent drop. Read more »

First elected as representative of Florida's 1st Congressional District in 2001, Jeff Miller became chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee in 2011. The committee oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and veterans' hospitals, it reviews programs, examines current laws, reports bills and amendments to strengthen existing laws concerning veterans, reviews legislation, and it recommends new bills concerning veterans. Within the committee's jurisdiction are retirement and disability pensions, life insurance, education, the GI Bill, home loan guarantees, medical care and a nationwide system of veterans' cemeteries. A 53-year-old Republican, Congressman Miller recently spoke with Vietnam editors from his Capitol Hill office. Read more »

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ ongoing review of performance bonuses has already yielded the cancellation of 43 of the 78 previously extended to senior executives. Only two of the remaining 35 have been approved for continuation, with the rest pending a final decision, according to the VA. Read more »

The Department of Veterans Affairs made millions of dollars in unauthorized, off-contract purchases from McKesson Corp. after the agency banned such spending in November, an agency spokesman said Wednesday. Read more »

Reforms put in place by the Department of Veterans Affairs to prevent the routine purchase of pharmaceuticals in violation of federal contracting laws have improved the VA procurement system but failed to eliminate improper practices, according to congressional testimony Wednesday. Read more »

On Dec. 28, 2002, Army 1st Sgt. Colin Rich volunteered to lead a patrol along the eastern Afghanistan border with Pakistan. The events of that day would change his life forever. Read more »

A key lawmaker discounted President Obama’s June 1 call for quick passage of Veterans Jobs Corps legislation and said a less expensive alternative is already in place if the administration would only do a better job of promoting it. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns is taking aim at the big shots within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The House on Thursday approved a measure offered by the Ocala Republican that would do away with salary bonuses to senior administrators within the VA. Read more »

“The Editor’s Desk” sits down once again with Congressman Jeff Miller, R-FL, the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee to talk about the state of the VA, veteran hiring, the war in Afghanistan, and the upcoming presidential election. Read more »

The U.S. government is a month away from offering retraining funds for older military veterans who can’t find jobs, and unless federal bureaucrats step up their game, veterans won’t find the money, lawmakers said. Read more »