Sen. Chuck Grassley is a long-time advocate for whistleblowers and has a long record of improving veterans services. Grassley made the following comment on President Trump’s announcement of an executive order on accountability and whistleblower protections at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“The VA waiting list scandal exposed some of the worst behavior that can happen when the bureaucracy goes off the rails. In many cases, the VA covered up a serious problem, retaliated against those who tried to point out wrongdoing, and circled the wagons to protect managers who should have been fired. The problems are a long way from being solved. My office is in contact with VA whistleblowers who are still facing serious retaliation. Real action and real results remain needed. The President ought to do whatever he can to fix the VA’s failures from the executive branch. Congress will continue to fulfill its role with oversight. Congress should enact any legislation necessary to give the VA the tools to fire employees who are not properly serving veterans and protect employees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing. There simply cannot be too much oversight and riding herd on this agency, and there’s so much work yet to be done.”
