Arlington, Va. – President Obama today signed into law the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014.
Pete Hegseth, CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, issued the following statement in reaction:
“Today is a victory for veterans. The VA reform bill President Obama signed into law today brings the first major civil service reform since the 1980’s. But while the key provisions in this legislation that hold VA executives accountable and grant veterans’ choice for private sector care are long overdue, they are only the first step. CVA fought long and hard for these reforms, and it’s important to remember that this historic legislative compromise happened in spite of this administration’s efforts rather than because of them.
“The fact is that there was little appetite from those on the stage today for the reforms that are the core of this legislation. It is telling that rather than pausing for victory laps, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller—who deserves the lion’s share of the credit for his leadership on this legislation—and CVA, were in the field today making sure that the calcified bureaucracy at the center of this scandal as well as the politicians who failed to prevent it, are held to account.
“The President has no more room to shirk responsibilities or shift blame. How effective these reforms will be now rests squarely on the shoulders of this administration. CVA will be keeping a close eye on how these reforms are implemented and enforced to ensure that Congress’ intent is met and that President Obama and VA Secretary McDonald use these significant tools of reform so that the betrayal we have seen is never repeated.”
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To schedule a TV interview with Pete Hegseth, CEO of CVA, or other CVA experts, please email booking@guestbooker.com.
For more information, contact Emily Laird at 571.302.0973 or e-mail elaird@cv4a.org.
Concerned Veterans for America is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for policies that will preserve the freedom and liberty we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.