Congressman Van Orden Challenges VA on $6.6 Billion Budget Shortfall and Misleading Public Statements
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, participated in a House Veterans’ Affairs full committee hearing on the Veterans Administration’s $6.6 billion budget shortfall request.
During the hearing, Congressman Van Orden questioned the witness panel on the Veterans Administration’s reported budget shortfalls for fiscal year (FY) 2024 benefits and FY 2025 health care. The VA requested and received $2.88 billion from Congress to address an end-of-fiscal-year benefits funding shortfall. However, VA later revealed that this funding was not needed and remains unspent. Additionally, the VA sought $12 billion to address a projected health care budget shortfall for FY 2025, vigorously defending this request and has since reduced this request to $6.6 billion.
In addition to addressing the budget shortfall, Congressman Van Orden questioned the witnesses regarding several inaccurate and fear-mongering statements published on the VA's website in 2023, which remain accessible on the site to this day.
To watch Rep. Van Orden’s line of questioning during the hearing, click here or the video below.
(watch)
Rep. Van Orden’s questioning for Ms. Laura Duke, Chief Financial Officer for Veterans Health Administration, and Mr. Joshua Jacobs, VA Under Secretary for Benefits:
Rep. Van Orden:
“For the electronic health record, the VA originally estimated it was going to cost $10 billion. It's going to cost over $16 [billion] so that's 60% off your budget estimate. You've got 171 sites and only six of them are using this so far, so you guys have blown $10 billion and six out of the 71 sites have this electronic health record, and it's my understanding that you guys blew off commercially off-the-shelf technologies to develop your own.
“You couldn't seem to make it the other day to our committee hearing, Mr. Jacobs, and this is your purview, so you're getting it now. The original estimate for the electronic GI Bill was $25 million. It's now going to cost $960 million. That means you were 97% off your estimate. Those are real numbers and I'm telling you right now, Ms. Duke, if the VA has your fingers in this pie, it's not going to work.
“This is the testimony from the IG – I asked him if they are good with developing software systems:
‘VA has a track record of difficulty in implementing major IT systems. They almost, without fail, take longer, they take replans, so I'd prefer just to leave it at that.’
“The IG was intimidated, and he was afraid to tell the truth, which is that you guys cannot manage anything.
“There's something else I want to point out. You guys came here previously and released a statement April 21, 2023 and said that we're going to cut your budget. This is what you said:
‘There's going to be 30 million fewer veteran outpatient visits and 81,000 jobs lost across the VHA.’ Did that take place? No.
‘You're going to undermine access to telehealth’. Did we do that? No.
‘Worsen the benefits?’ No.
‘Prevent construction on the health care facilities.’ We're working on that right now.
‘Fail to honor veterans' memory by dumping on the cemeteries.’ Did that happen? No.
‘Did we cut housing for veterans?’ No.
‘Did we increase food insecurity for veterans?’ No.
‘Deprive veterans mental health, substance use, and other healthcare services?’ No, we're expanding them.
“Why is this still on your website?
“There's something else I want to read to you. It's a definition of a word: the quality, capability, or power to elicit belief. You know what that's the definition of? Credibility. You know what you guys have? Collectively not that.
“This is embarrassing. If you just didn't do these incredibly incompetent things, you wouldn't be here asking for more money and I got to ask you, Sir when does incompetence become corruption, Mr. Jacobs?”
Mr. Jacobs:
“Congressman, first let me just say I spent a decade working on the Hill. I value the oversight that members of this committee and this body do. I think they make us better. I will also say I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished…”
Rep. Van Orden:
“I hear this all the time. Why is this on your website? Why are these blatant lies still on your website?”
Mr. Jacobs:
“I would have to talk to the…”
Rep. Van Orden:
“If you guys have blown billions and billions and billions of dollars, which you have, for things that still don't work, I'm asking when does incompetence become corruption? You're getting paid, you're getting paid, Ms. Dukes, your contractors are getting paid, everybody's getting paid, right? But you know who's not being served? The veterans. Unfortunately, the head shed of the Veterans Affairs Administration has created a self-licking ice cream cone and you're not servicing the veterans to the level that you can because every one of these dollars that is spent in corruption – I'm just going to say it – is not a dollar that can be applied to the healthcare for veterans. You are directly responsible for that and nobody else is.
With that, I yield back.”