{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-sullivan-seek-to-hold-va-accountable-for-3-billion-budget-shortfall", "Grassley, Sullivan Seek to Hold VA Accountable for $3 Billion Budget Shortfall", "2024-09-19", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) on a bill to hold the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) accountable for running a $3 billion deficit on its 2024 fund for administering veterans\u2019 benefits.\n\n\u201cThe VA grossly mismanaged taxpayer dollars and put veterans\u2019 benefits at risk. We won\u2019t leave our nation\u2019s veterans in limbo, hard stop. The VA, on the other hand, has major explaining to do: Veterans, Congress and the public deserve answers to basic questions. Namely, what led to this egregious financial shortfall and how will the agency fix the mess it created,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cOur legislation institutes needed accountability measures to prevent the VA from squandering taxpayer dollars intended to benefit those who\u2019ve honorably served our nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cTelling Congress we have to provide $3 billion to the VA in a matter of days or our constituents won't get their benefits\u2014without any accountability or reforms\u2014is a shocking failure in leadership and management,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cIt is incumbent upon the Secretary to appear before the committee and answer questions, but remarkably, he declined to do so. This is not a great victory as some are spinning it. The VA has a duty to provide congressional oversight committees with high-quality, in-person briefings explaining these shortfalls in the future\u2014earlier than just a month in advance. In light of this budgetary fiasco and the millions of dollars\u2019 worth of bonuses improperly distributed to VA executives, I\u2019ve put forward commonsense legislation to require the VA to abide by a basic level of accountability and oversight.\n\n\u201cLet me be clear: We will fund this shortfall. Our veterans deserve and rely upon their hard-earned benefits. But, going forward, our veterans also expect a much higher standard of accountability from VA leaders. I expect the Secretary and other VA leaders to come to the table with clear answers as to how these deficiencies keep happening and how they are going to prevent them in the future.\u201d\n\nThe Protecting Regular Order (PRO) for Veterans Act requires the VA for the next three years to submit quarterly, in-person budget reports to Congress, fostering greater financial oversight. Certain senior personnel from the VA and Office of Management and Budget would not receive their bonuses in the event of additional financial shortfalls.\n\nJoining Grassley and Sullivan are Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).\n\nDownload bill text HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-sullivan-seek-to-hold-va-accountable-for-3-billion-budget-shortfall"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4970579650253057, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}