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CVA Statement on Historic VA Accountability Law

By Concerned Veterans for America

Arlington, VA — Today President Trump is expected to sign into law the bipartisan VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. The bill is a strong piece of accountability legislation that will empower Secretary Shulkin with the ability to quickly fire bad VA employees and protect whistleblowers who speak up about wrongdoing.

Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) has been at the forefront of the fight for VA accountability since the group was founded in 2012. The group has supported various iterations of the bill in the past, and recently mobilized its massive grassroots army in a national campaign in support of the bill. CVA activists made hundreds of thousands of calls to Congressional offices, held local events across the country, and ran ads targeting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. 

Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Executive Director Mark Lucas issued the following statement: 

“Veterans have been waiting for this day for years. Until today, the VA Secretary has not had the necessary authority to discipline or fire bad department employees quickly. This historic bill is a significant step forward in the fight to correct the toxic VA culture and get veterans a step closer to the care they deserve.

“While unions tried to defend the status quo and block reform, ultimately both sides of the aisle recognized the need for this important measure and united on behalf of our veterans. We applaud the elected officials who championed this measure in Congress, as well as this administration for continuing to prioritize the issue.

“Lawmakers must now turn their attention to getting veterans better access to health care, whether that’s inside or outside of the VA. Too many veterans are trapped inside a system that is unable to provide them with adequate or timely care, and they deserve the choice to seek outside care when they want to. CVA will make choice reform a major focus of our efforts this year.” 

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