VA Report Required By Manchin Accountability Law
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) received notification that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will miss the congressionally mandated deadline to submit a report on patient safety and quality of care at VA Medical Centers (VAMC), leaving Veterans and their loved ones without information on the policies and procedures in place across the VA. Senator Manchin’s legislation, The Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, was introduced in response to the murders at the Clarksburg VAMC and was signed into law in December 2020. The law requires the VA to produce a report on patient safety and quality of care at VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) 30 days after the legislation was signed into law.
“The VA informed me they are unable to meet the congressionally mandated deadline to submit a report on patient safety and quality of care at their VAMC facilities. This is simply unacceptable and shows yet another failure of leadership from the VA to provide vital information to Veterans and their loved ones. I urge VA Secretary Wilkie to quickly release this report as mandated by my bipartisan, bicameral bill signed into law on December 4th, 2020. Our Veterans and their loved ones deserve answers after the horrific alleged actions of multiple West Virginia VAMC employees have come to light including the murders of at least seven Veterans at the Clarksburg VAMC. I will continue to press the VA to release the report as soon as possible and to provide an explanation for missing the deadline to give West Virginians and Americans peace of mind that their loved ones are being properly cared for.”
A timeline of Senator Manchin’s work on the Clarksburg VAMC investigation can be found here.
