WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today announced the U.S. Senate approved the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to improve services provided to veterans from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and to prevent incidents of abuse and neglect. Below is audio from Senator Roberts.

“Veteran Affairs officials serving Kansas veterans told me one of the biggest problems to improving the quality of care is the inability of supervisors to hold accountable employees found guilty of wrong-doing,” Roberts said. “These commonsense changes to civil service rules will cut red tape, strengthen the culture within the VA and ensure the agency is staffed only by individuals dedicated to providing the high-quality care our veterans have earned.”

The bill makes it easier for the VA to remove senior executives, protects whistleblowers and increases accountability for all VA employees system wide. For more on the bill go here.

The bipartisan legislation is widely supported by key veterans stakeholders, including the VA and the U.S. House VA committee leadership. It has also won the support of several Veterans Service Organizations that represent millions of veterans in the United States and key government accountability groups.

Senator Roberts is the most senior Marine in the U.S. Congress.

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