John Hall: “my amendment makes a small change to funding at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It would prohibit any funding to be…”

“my amendment makes a small change to funding at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It would prohibit any funding to be spent for performance bonuses to senior level staff at the Department for fiscal year 2008. This amendment would effectively mean no person in a Presidential-appointed position or Secretary-level position would receive a performance bonus during the coming fiscal year. As I begin, let me state that the Department of Veterans Affairs has done a very good job in many areas for our Nation's veterans. In fact, its health care system is rated amongst the very best in the country, and the demand of veterans to get into the system speaks to the high level of care that it provides. However, there remains a significant need for improvement in many areas. In the last 3 years, the VA has underestimated its health care budget by nearly $1 billion. It has roughly 600,000 veterans claims backlogged and veterans currently waiting an average of 177 days before receiving a decision on their claim. Furthermore, according to a draft Inspector General's report, the VA is significantly overstating its success in getting patients timely appointments with VA doctors. The number of claims pending before the Department has steadily increased over the last 5 years.”