Press Releases

Chairman Miller released the following statement today regarding the retirement with full benefits of VA construction chief Glenn Haggstrom.

“Though Glenn Haggstrom may have tried to do a good job at VA, he certainly did not succeed. What’s most disappointing about this situation, however, is that Haggstrom left on his own terms – with a lifetime pension – even though any reasonable person would conclude that he should have been fired years ago. VA’s entire construction program is a disaster and has been for years. Nearly every major VA hospital construction project is behind schedule and hundreds of millions over budget. In Colorado, a replacement VA hospital is more than $1 billion over budget and isn’t even close to completion. Every single member of VA’s top leadership is fully aware of the department’s construction problems, yet none made any attempt to fire Haggstrom – a fact that speaks volumes about the department’s commitment to accountability. To be sure, Haggstrom is not the only VA employee responsible for the department’s construction failures. More housecleaning will surely be needed if the department is to ever get its construction affairs in order. If there is anything in current law preventing VA from swiftly holding its employees accountable, the department should say so, because the parade of VA executives who retire or resign in lieu of any form of accountability is nothing short of insulting to veterans and taxpayers.” – Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs