Press Releases

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (GA-01) acted today to hold employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accountable for their actions. With Carter's support, the United States House of Representatives approved legislation to make it easier to fire VA employees for performance or misconduct. 

"As I travel across the First District of Georgia, I continue to hear the same disturbing message - the VA is failing our veterans," said Carter. "American heroes are waiting weeks, months, and even years for service from the VA and it's obvious some employees at the VA are not doing their jobs. As a small business owner for thirty years, I know firsthand how important it is to have good people working for you. On the flip side, it's a standard business practice to separate from an employee if they are engaging in unacceptable behavior or simply not doing their job. For some reason beyond my understanding though, this practice does not apply to bureaucrats at the VA and that is why this legislation is so important. This bill breaks down barriers to finally eliminate bad actors in an efficient way. If a VA employee can't provide our veterans with the best possible care when they return home, they should and will be replaced with someone who will."

In addition to making it easier to fire or demote bad employees, the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act strengthens whistleblower protections and reforms the VA appeal process in an effort to expedite the process.