Claudia Tenney: “I first want to thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for prioritizing bipartisanship and putting our veterans…”

“I first want to thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for prioritizing bipartisanship and putting our veterans ahead of politics. This committee's work is a testament to what we can achieve here in Congress when we put aside politics and focus on results. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act requires the VA to submit a report to Congress at the end of each fiscal year listing the bonuses that were awarded to senior-level executives within the department. In 2015, VA employees received more than $177 million in bonuses, which was 24 percent more than they had received in 2014. The average bonus for a senior executive was $10,000. I have no doubt that the men and women of the VA serve our veterans admirably each day. In fact, I know that they do. In my own district, I have spoken with veterans who are grateful for the compassionate care they receive from the VA hospital in Syracuse as well as local VA clinics in Binghamton and Rome. VA employees should be fairly compensated for their work and awarded for their achievements in service to our Nation's veterans. It is also clear to me that there is more work to be done. Just recently, an audit of several VA facilities in North Carolina and Virginia revealed that wait times continue to be misrepresented and that nearly 14,000 veterans were denied access to timely care.…”