Press Releases

Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), released the following statement after his oversight staff met with numerous whistleblowers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Loma Linda Healthcare System in California.

This trip comes as Chairman Bost and Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) continue to ask VA Secretary Denis McDonough why failing supervisory employees have not been disciplined appropriately by VA management at VA Loma Linda. The allegations against these employees often supported by thousands of pages of evidence, suggest that these employees have created a hostile work environment. This hostile environment has in turn allegedly reduced accountability, impacted employee morale, and hindered the delivery of high-quality services to veterans. Read the recent letters the Members sent regarding the situation in Loma Linda here and here. The Department has yet to respond to Chairman Bost and Rep. Obernolte’s July inquiry.

“Since January, my office, along with Rep. Obernolte’s office, have been listening to evidence from dozens of brave employees that work at VA Loma Linda sounding the alarm on the toxic work culture caused by what I believe are failures of certain Loma Linda leaders. Unfortunately, the problems at Loma Linda appear likely to be far greater than the issues identified in my April and July enquiries. It appears that failures in senior leadership are directly impacting the delivery of care and services to our veterans. Which is why under my leadership we will take their concerns seriously,” said Chairman Bost. “Last week, my team met with numerous Loma Linda whistleblowers who were consistent in emphasizing that they believe that a few senior leaders have created a retaliatory culture at VA Loma Linda, causing mistrust, a toxic work culture, and bad results for veterans. Anyone with a shred of judgment would agree that’s wrong. But earlier this month, the Biden administration deployed the Under Secretary for the entire Veterans Health Administration, Dr. Elnahal, to Loma Linda to whitewash the whole situation. I believe Dr. Elnahal appears to be taking the side of those at the top and casting doubt on these brave whistleblowers who are simply trying to serve veterans well. Apparently being the most “pro-union administration in American history” means putting those few individuals not doing right by veterans, including some of VA’s senior leaders, ahead of the veterans themselves. VA Loma Linda employees, including every union employee, can rest assured that they will always have my ear and I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make the improvements that are clearly needed at this facility.”

“Since news of the first whistleblower report broke in April, a flood of additional whistleblowers have come forward to my office with reports of hostile work environments and a Department of Veterans Affairs that has failed to take necessary action to remove the problematic individuals. As we have investigated these credible complaints, it has become clear that this problem is both serious and pervasive,” said Rep. Obernolte. “Failure to provide a productive work environment for employees means a failure to provide the quality of care that our veterans deserve. Chairman Bost and I are committed to shedding light on this situation and to taking every action at our disposal to make Loma Linda VA the best it can be for its employees and for the High Desert and Inland Empire veterans it serves.”

Chairman Bost is leading the Restore VA Accountability Act in the House to build back a culture of employee accountability at VA. The bill includes provisions which would give the VA Secretary the authority they need to hold middle-managers and Senior Executive Service members accountable to veterans they serve and the employees they lead. The Restore VA Accountability Act together with diligent oversight is needed to ensure bad employees, especially senior leaders, are never allowed to hurt veterans. Just before the August work period, the Committee reported the Chairman’s bill, HR 4278, to be voted on by the full House, every Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs voted against the legislation in committee.