In Two Days of Hearings, Congressman Pappas Presses VA On Efforts to Change the Culture of Whistleblower Retaliation
2 years after the whistle was blown on the Manchester VA, Pappas exposes continued work needed to end retaliatory culture undermining veterans' care
Washington, D.C.- Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Chair of Oversight and Investigations for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, held a hearing examining the VA's failure to protect whistleblowers from undue retaliation. This preceded a full Committee Hearing which took place yesterday to assess the VA's "secret wait lists" on the fifth anniversary of the Phoenix VA wait time scandal.
In the first hearing, Congressman Pappas questioned VA Assistant Secretary for Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Dr. Tamara Bonzanto about the need to change the retaliatory culture within the VA which she had highlighted in her own nomination process. Despite acknowledging that whistleblowers play a critical role in serving our veterans, Dr. Bonzanto failed to provide adequate detail about what the VA is doing to address this issue.
"These hearings are another important step in holding VA leadership accountable," said Chairman Pappas. "As I said in our first hearing, while I appreciate the response from VA leadership about addressing the retaliatory culture that is well-documented, I remain unsatisfied with the progress they have made. Frankly, the testimony today left me deeply concerned."
In yesterday's hearing, Congressman Pappas questioned Dr. Teresa S. Boyd, the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Clinical Operations Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) at the VA. Dr. Boyd's own testimony stated that reviews of the electronic wait list only took place after media reporters came out exposing the issue, not when they were brought to the VA's attention by whistleblowers themselves.
"Whistleblowers help shine a spotlight on deficiencies, fraud, and abuse at the VA and allow us to better serve veterans, and we must ensure a culture is in place that takes their concerns seriously. I will continue to address these issues in my capacity as chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and will work with both VA leadership and whistleblowers alike to take any necessary action," said Pappas.