02.05.25

Sullivan, Colleagues Demand Greater Accountability at VA Following Budget Shortfall Fiasco

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), and 10 of his Senate colleagues today introduced the Protecting Regular Order (PRO) for Veterans Act, legislation to establish greater accountability and oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after a stunning multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall in 2024 followed by a multi-billion-dollar surplus two months later. This budget debacle came after the VA mismanaged funds, resulting in $10 million dollars’ worth of bonuses being improperly awarded to senior management at the VA. These bonuses ranged from $40,000 to $100,000 each, significantly more than the average disability benefits a veteran receives in a year.

The Pro VETS Act will institute a three-year requirement for the VA to provide quarterly, in-person budget reports to Congress to encourage greater oversight and financial accountability, and also withhold bonuses for senior VA and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) personnel if there are future financial shortfalls.

“Last year, we witnessed a shocking budget debacle, with the VA saying veterans’ hard-earned benefits were in peril if the VA didn’t immediately receive billions of dollars in additional funds—only to find out weeks later that no such shortfall exists,” Sen. Sullivan said. “Congress cannot become numb to these kinds of scandals and gross mismanagement. My colleagues and I are demanding basic accountability at the VA, including quarterly in-person budget reports to Congress and the withholding of bonuses for senior VA and OMB leaders involved in any future budget debacle. I urge my colleagues to join us in this effort to put commonsense guardrails on VA leadership and safeguard the benefits of our courageous veterans who’ve sacrificed so much on our behalf.”

The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.),  Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Below is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan and his colleagues’ recent work to address the lack of accountability at the VA:

  • In 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’ benefits.
  • On 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.
  • On September 18, 2024, SVAC held a hearing on the funding shortfall and Sen. Sullivan introduced the PRO Vets Act.
  • On 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.
  • On 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.

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