{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-signs-sullivan-bill-establishing-greater-va-accountability", "Trump Signs Sullivan Bill Establishing Greater VA Accountability", "2025-09-02", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AK", "Dan Sullivan", "S001198", "www.sullivan.senate.gov", "sullivan", "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases?PageNum_rs=4", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), thanked President Donald Trump for signing his legislation, the Protecting Regular Order (PRO) for Veterans Act, into law. Sen. Sullivan introduced the legislation to establish greater accountability and oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after the Biden administration VA mismanaged a stunning multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall in 2024 followed by a multi-billion-dollar surplus two months later. The PRO Vets Act institutes a three-year requirement for the VA to provide quarterly, in-person budget reports to Congress to encourage greater oversight and financial accountability.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s veterans, who\u2019ve served and sacrificed greatly for our country, deserve a Department of Veterans Affairs that is held to the highest possible standard of accountability,\u201d said Senator Sullivan. \u201cThe shocking budget debacle last year made clear that this agency was falling short of the standards our veterans deserve. With today\u2019s signing of the PRO Vets Act into law, we\u2019re putting in place commonsense guardrails, like quarterly, in-person budget reports to Congress, and the withholding of bonuses for senior VA and OMB leaders responsible for any future fiscal mismanagement. I want to thank President Trump and my colleagues in the Senate and House for working with me to achieve this major win and helping to restore the trust of our veterans in an institution that exists to serve them.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnder the Biden administration, the VA doled out massive bonuses to senior executives while hiding a multi-billion dollar shortfall. This betrayal was a slap in the face not only to our veterans but also to the American taxpayer,\u201d said Senator Marshall. \u201cThis common-sense legislation mandates that the VA provide a quarterly, in-person update to Congress on their finances, and halts bonuses when the books don\u2019t balance. I gladly supported this legislation, and I am proud to see it signed into law. I thank Senator Sullivan for leading the fight on this important issue.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur veterans have served and sacrificed and deserve the benefits they have earned,\u201d Senator Ernst said. \u201cI supported the PRO Vets Act to ensure the VA abides by the same rules as hardworking Iowans who must balance their own budgets. I\u2019m thankful this administration took action to sign it into law, so VA bureaucrats manage taxpayers dollars and veteran benefits more responsibly.\u201d\n\nSenator Sullivan\u2019s legislation was cosponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).\n\nBelow is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan and his colleagues\u2019 recent work to address the lack of accountability at the VA:\n\nIn the summer of 2024, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) announced that it was experiencing a historic budget shortfall of $15 billion and would need $3 billion immediately to ensure the delivery of veterans\u2019 benefits.\n\nOn July 31, 2024, Senators Sullivan and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) sent a letter to the SVAC chairman demanding an immediate hearing on the reported budget shortfall.\n\nOn September 18, 2024, SVAC held a hearing on the funding shortfall and Sen. Sullivan introduced the PRO Vets Act.\n\nOn September 19, 2024, Sen. Sullivan attempted to pass the PRO Vets Act as an amendment to a VA supplemental funding package, but it was blocked by Senate Democrats.\n\nOn November 18, 2024, Sen. Sullivan and 15 of his colleagues sent a letter to the SVAC chairman demanding greater accountability and oversight of the VA.\n\nOn February 5, 2025, Sen. Sullivan and 10 of his colleagues introduced the PRO Vets Act in the Senate.\n\nOn April 10, 2025, Sen. Sullivan voted with his colleagues to pass the PRO Vets Act in the Senate.\n\nOn July 22, 2025, the PRO Vets Act passed in the House.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "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.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-signs-sullivan-bill-establishing-greater-va-accountability"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5227412804961205, "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"}