Press Releases

Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), alongside Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), and Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), introduced a second series of bills as part of the Chairman’s broader reauthorization strategy to soundly reauthorize and reform specific programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the 21st century of care and benefits delivery — many of which have not been comprehensively reviewed in 30 years.

Specifically, the second series of bills would establish needed accountability in VA’s VISN structure, Senior Executive Service (SES) pay structure, VA’s federal advisory committees, and VA political appointments. These bills aim to address ongoing issues that the Committee believes have directly hindered VA healthcare and benefits delivery due to a lack of solid structure and accountability in place, which has unintentionally shifted the focus away from placing veterans at the center of everything VA does. To read more about the first series of bills the Chairman and House Republicans are leading as part of the Committee’s reauthorization strategy, click here.

“Veterans have earned a system that works with them – not against them,” said Chairman Bost. “For far too long too many VA programs have gone unchecked and too many employees who don’t have VA’s core mission of serving veterans well in mind have flown under the radar. During the Biden administration we uncovered real problems that were directly impacting the delivery of care and services. The VA reauthorization strategy I am leading is to build on the changes Secretary Collins and the Trump administration are doing to right the ship and make VA programs work better,” Chairman Bost continued. “One of these areas that lacks accountability and needs to be modernized is VA’s VISN. Simply put, this outdated structure created in the mid-1990s no longer aligns with the scale, complexity, geographic demands, or performance management requirements of the modern VHA, which is important to improving VA healthcare delivery. My bill would change this to deliver better healthcare to veterans across the country and our territories.”  

To learn more about proposed reforms to VA’s VISN structure, click here. Bill text can be found here.

The four bills that were introduced today as part of the Committee’s broader reauthorization strategy would:

• Establish VA’s VISNs in statute for the first time and clearly define their purpose as regional integrated healthcare systems — not middle management entities.
• Reforms VA’s Senior Executive Service (SES) pay structure
• Bring accountability to VA’s federal advisory committees
• Restructure VA’s political and executive appointment framework

“When veterans need care, every second counts, and VA leadership must be able to act without bureaucratic slowdowns. This bill brings the VA in line with the rest of the executive branch by clarifying chains of command and ensuring leaders responsible for health care, benefits delivery, and modernization are accountable to appointed leadership. Veterans who served our nation with decisive action deserve a VA that can respond with equal urgency,” said Rep. Mace.

To learn more about proposed reforms to VA political appointment leadership roles, click here. Bill text can be found here.

“Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the VA’s advisory system provides real value to veterans, not just additional layers of bureaucracy,” said Rep. Self. “For too long, many of these advisory committees have operated without proper oversight or have sat idle while veterans face real challenges that demand attention. This bill creates a more targeted, accountable, and efficient advisory structure that reflects the needs of today’s veterans and upholds our duty to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

To learn more about proposed reforms to VA’s federal advisory committees, click here. Bill text can be found here.

“The VA TRUST Act is a needed step in ensuring the VA remains focused on its core mission of serving our nation’s veterans,” said Rep. Flood. “Building on my efforts last Congress to bring more transparency and common sense to the pay and bonuses of the VA’s Senior Executive Service employees, the VA TRUST Act will help the Department better prioritize its mission to effectively serve veterans. I’m hopeful to see these reforms advance through the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs as part of its broader effort to reauthorize several key programs within the VA for the first time in decades."

To learn more about proposed reforms to VA’s Senior Executive Service (SES) pay structure, click here. Bill text can be found here.