The once solely partisan Veteran’s Affairs reform bill being considered for passage in the U.S. Senate, in which Florida Senator Marco Rubio introduced earlier this year, has now garnered the support of 53 Senators, including 11 Democrats.
The 11 Democrat Senators are: Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Al Franken (D-MN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Walsh (D-MT) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).To his credit, Senator Nelson was the first Democrat in the Senate to openly state that he would be supporting Rubio’s bill. The House of Representatives passed a similar bill sponsored by Congressman Jeff Miller, but now that VA scandal has broadened, and Americans are now learning about the poor healthcare the administration has been offering Veterans, the Senate is pressed to act on Rubio’s bill.
But the problem in the Senate, as it seems to always be the case, is Senate Majority leader Harry Reid.
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According to Rubio,“The only thing keeping these important reforms from being signed into law is Senator Reid’s refusal to schedule a vote.”
Aside from the majority of entire Congress supporting the overhaul of the Veteran’s Affairs administration, not to mention millions of Americans, veteran’s groups have also sounded off their concerns about the VA’s healthcare practices, and support for Rubio’s VA reform bill.“In order to give veterans the care they deserve, the new VA secretary will need to fire employees who wrongly participated in this scandal. This legislation gives the secretary that power, which is why a majority of the Senate is co-sponsoring it. It makes no sense why Senator Reid would not allow a vote.”-Senator Marco Rubio
Here is what some of these groups are saying:
The legislation is also supported by Concerned Veterans for America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Fleet Reserve Association, The American Legion, and American Veterans.
Concerned Veterans for America’s Darin Selnick:
“Members of Congress who have asserted more oversight of the flailing department should continue to demand change. A good place to start would be with demanding an up-or-down vote on Senator Marco Rubio’s VA Management Accountability Act in the Senate.”
Concerned Veterans for America’s Pete Hegseth:
“[V]eterans, their families and taxpayers who care about government accountability should take up the cause and contact Harry Reid and Bernie Sanders. Demand that the Senate give the VA Management Accountability Act (sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio) and up-or-down vote. Demand that senators go on record as either being for the bureaucrats or for our veterans.”
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America:
Fleet Reserve Association:“The Senate must act now to pass the VA Management Accountability Act. The bill (endorsed by Secretary Shinseki in his final public remarks) gives the Secretary of the VA the authority to remove under-performing Senior Executive Service employees from their jobs. Without the ability to fire poor-performing managers, the next VA Secretary will struggle to restore a culture of accountability throughout the VA
“The House has recently passed the ‘Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act’ (H.R. 4031), that authorizes the VA Secretary to remove any agency senior executive if the individual’s performance warrants removal. … Members are urged to use the Action Center to ask their senators to support this legislation.”
