WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema spoke at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing, questioning a top federal watchdog on Department of Veterans Affairs initiatives listed on the “High Risk” list as programs that need additional congressional oversight.
“The Phoenix VA was the epicenter of the VA crisis. That crisis was the result of failed oversight, gross mismanagement, a broken scheduling system, and insufficient resources and staffing. There has been progress, but I am very concerned that the VA appears twice on the High Risk List for access to care and its contracting practices,” said Sinema.
The High Risk list, published every two years by the Government Accountability Office, identifies federal programs that have significant vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. The VA appears on the list for “Managing Risks and Improving VA Health Care” and “VA Acquisition Management.”
Sinema asked federal watchdogs what improvements the VA can make to ensure it is providing veterans the care they’ve earned. She also asked how the VA can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its contracting system.
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