releases: http://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-calls-on-va-to-cut-unnecessary-purchasing-costs-and-end-wasteful
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-calls-on-va-to-cut-unnecessary-purchasing-costs-and-end-wasteful | Kuster Calls on VA to Cut Unnecessary Purchasing Costs and End Wasteful Spending in Order to Improve Quality of Care During Oversight Hearing | 2015-05-14 | 2015 | 2015-05 | Democrat | House | NH | Ann Kuster | K000382 | kuster.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC This morning, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) questioned VA officials about purchase card cost overruns at the VA during a House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Hearing on Oversight and Investigations (O&I). Congresswoman Kuster is the ranking member on the O&I Subcommittee. Yesterday, a new memo surfaced written by one of the VAs top senior procurement officials which revealed extremely wasteful spending at the VA, particularly involving the use of purchase cards meant for small purchases only to obtain billions of dollars worth of medical equipment. Furthermore, the memo reports that the VA fails to properly engage in competitive bidding or contracts, in order to reduce costs, access specialized equipment for veterans in a costly manner, and increase efficiency. During todays hearing, Members of the Subcommittee questioned the author of the report, Jan R. Frye, deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and logistics, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), and other VA officials and solicited explanations for the wasteful spending detailed in the memo. I was appalled to hear that the VA, which is already plagued by a number of other scandals regarding inefficiencies, has been consistently misusing purchase cards and allowing indiscriminate spending to run rampant, said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. While we must ensure that our veterans have access to high-quality services, resources, and medical equipment, the VA must be held accountable for failing to monitor its spending and using purchase cards to waste billions of dollars on equipment that could have been purchased much more efficiently using contract bidding or other monitored processes. At a time when every cent should be going towards improving health outcomes for our veterans, the VA does not have money to waste and I firmly believe we must put an end to this egregious practice once and for all. According to Mr. Frye, the VA purchasing system lacks oversight, and the lack of competitive bidding and contract usage could mean unqualified employees are ordering equipment. This not only encourages wasteful spending, but could also pose a threat to the veterans using VA services. Congresswoman Kuster helped lead the investigation into mismanagement scandals at the VA last year, and earlier this year she was named Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations. This role allows the Congresswoman to continue to put pressure on the VA to improve access and quality of care, and during todays hearing she emphasized the importance of cutting down on cost overruns and ensuring the VA is spending money wisely in order to ensure funding is being used to enhance quality of care for our nations veterans. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |