Subcommittee advances bill directing GAO review of VA budgeting after last year’s reported shortfalls

Representative Bergman sponsored HR 18 23, the VA Budget Accountability Act, which would require the Comptroller General to conduct a forensic audit of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ budgeting process to determine causes of recent reported shortfalls.

Representative Bergman said Congress must ensure accurate VA budgeting and called the bill “common sense” to prevent future mismanagement. Ranking Member Brownlee said he supports the intent and will vote to advance the bill but urged majority staff to coordinate with ongoing reviews by GAO and the VA Office of Inspector General so the new requirement does not duplicate existing work; Brownlee noted OIG reports were due shortly that were already mandated by prior legislation.

Brownlee also raised a procedural concern described in VA testimony: HR 18 23 would require GAO to submit its completed report to VA and then require VA to forward GAO’s report to Congress; Brownlee said it would be more logical for GAO to submit directly to the congressional committees. Representative King Hines moved to favorably forward HR 18 23 to the full committee, and the motion was agreed to by the chair.

Members asked majority staff to work with minority staff to narrow the bill’s scope where it overlaps ongoing GAO and OIG work before full committee consideration.