Skip to Content

Press Releases

Miller Bill Would Give VA Secretary Complete Authority to Recoup Employee Bonuses

Today Chairman Jeff Miller introduced H.R. 5094, legislation that would give the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary the authority to recoup performance bonuses paid to VA employees. The legislation comes in the wake of findings that the department paid more than $380,000 in cash bonuses to top executives at 38 hospitals that are under investigation for falsifying wait times for medical care or where there have been long delays. The legislation is intended to eliminate confusion among VA officials who have made contradictory statements about the department’s authority to recoup bonuses. After introducing the legislation, Miller released the following statement:

“Apparently, VA officials aren’t sure whether the department has the authority to recoup bonus payments to its own employees. This bill is intended to clear up this confusion. Ideally, VA employees and executives who earned bonuses under false pretenses should be subject to prosecution, but at a minimum their bonuses should be paid back in full. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which would give the VA secretary another tool to instill some much-needed accountability throughout the department.” – Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

View the text of the legislation here.

Back to top