Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5620, the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act. The bill would provide the VA Secretary additional authority to remove employees based on poor performance or misconduct, increase whistleblower protections, and reform the appeals process for veteran benefits. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) released the following statement on its passage:
 
“Today’s vote shows that the House of Representatives is working to fix the VA and improve care for our veterans. While I was proud to support this bill and happy to see it pass the House, we have seen legislation like this fail to become law all too often because of inaction in the Senate. Clearly, we need to change the dynamic in Congress. Fixing the VA is a bipartisan issue in campaigns across the country. The bill I introduced on Tuesday, September 13, the Lead by Example Act, would address this problem by ensuring that all of Congress has a vested interest in finally fixing the VA. Our veterans know better than anyone that we cannot afford to wait to enact reform. They are counting on us to lead by example and stand with them in solidarity.”