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U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, believes that an outside review of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) email disappearance is necessary following his questioning of Treasury Secretary Jack Lew during today’s Banking Committee hearing. The Department of the Treasury oversees the IRS.
“While Secretary Lew claims the IRS has done an ‘extraordinary’ job responding to the issue of the missing emails, it would be difficult to find anyone outside of the Treasury who would agree,” Sen. Moran said. “The American people did not accept any of the excuses surrounding the missing 18.5 minutes of the Watergate tapes, nor should they be asked to accept the excuses for the loss of tens of thousands of IRS emails.
“I remain unconvinced by the excuses offered by IRS and Treasury leadership. If the Treasury truly lacks the technical expertise to fully and accurately assess this incident, we need to bring in an outside examiner who can.”
Highlights from Sen. Moran’s exchange with Sec. Lew can be found below, along with a link to download the video clip.
Sen. Moran: (0:53) “I find it difficult to give credibility to the belief that these emails have disappeared by mistake, in an error, something uncontrollable…”
Sec. Lew: (2:24) “I share the frustration that a broken hard drive has led to a gap in terms of what is available, but I do want to point out that what the IRS has done is extraordinary… (2:53) and I have no reason to believe that I have anything to add to what the Commissioner has said.”
Sen. Moran: (2:58) “Have you analyzed this independent of what the Commissioner has said?”
Sec. Lew: (3:01) “We’ve been in contact obviously, and understand what they’ve done, but the IRS is managing this.”
Sen. Moran: (3:11) “I assume you understand the nature of the IRS and what is expects of the American people. What a double standard this is that the IRS can’t find records… You also have an ongoing lawsuit in which, by the Code of Civil Procedure, you are required to keep the emails. It seems to me there are a series of problems the IRS faces as a result of the loss of this hard drive. It also speaks in a broader sense to the relationship between the Treasury Department and Congress in trying to establish some level of credibility as we have conversations about what the truth is… This is one more example of what I find to be very difficult in dealing with the Department in getting answers...”
Sens. Moran and Roberts: U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $300 Million for NBAF
Jun 24 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, along with U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) announced that the Fiscal Year 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill was approved with bipartisan support by the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations. The bill includes $300 million for construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), an amount equal to the funding requested in the President’s FY2015 Budget and builds on the $404 million appropriated for the construction of NBAF in FY2014. This funding is a critical step forward to finish construction of the lab in Manhattan, Kan.
“As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am committed to making certain NBAF remains a top priority,” Sen. Moran said. “This $300 million investment solidifies Congressional support for the construction of a modern, world-class facility in Manhattan, which will protect Americans against biological threats. Kansas will become a research epicenter, and NBAF will ultimately create jobs for Kansans in the fields of engineering, science and technology. The talented young men and women who grow up here will have more opportunities to work and live in Kansas.”
“The nation needs NBAF. With this final $300 investment, our plant and animal health will be better protected and the critical research will be done in Manhattan, Kansas,” Sen. Roberts said. “I look forward to the economic opportunities this will create for Kansans now and into the future as public and private research expands to keep our best and brightest here at home.”
NBAF, a state-of-the-art biosecurity lab, is to be built adjacent to Kansas State University. A January 2012 economic impact report found the NBAF will employ approximately 326 permanent employees and support some 757 construction jobs. The state of Kansas showed its commitment to this project by contributing $202 million. The facility is expected to have a $3.5 billion economic impact on Kansas in the first 20 years alone.
In addition to creating an economic boom for Kansas, NBAF will protect our national economy by researching foreign animal disease threats, which are very real with devastating impacts. The cost of an outbreak far outweighs the NBAF construction cost, not only in the loss of human life but also its damage to the animal and agricultural industry.
The main laboratory will boast safety and security features recommended by the National Academies of Sciences. It will include specialized air and water decontamination systems, new technologies for handling solid waste onsite, and structural components to strengthen the laboratory against hazardous weather conditions. A funding commitment was also made to provide infrastructure repairs at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center to guarantee a smooth transition of research from Plum Island, N.Y., to Manhattan, Kan.
The committee approved bill now awaits passage by the full U.S. Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives has also passed their Fiscal Year 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill with funding for NBAF out of committee, but it also awaits passage on the floor.
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Sen. Moran Repeats Call for Release of VA Office of Medical Inspector Reports
"The release of OMI reports will allow Americans, the press, Congress and veterans to see what the VA knew, when they knew it and what they did about it."
Jun 23 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today repeated his call for the release of reports by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI) on their investigations into wrongdoing at VA facilities. The release of a letter from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) detailing how VA officials have consistently glossed over problems pointed out by whistle-blowers illustrates the importance of making certain the findings of all OMI investigations see the light of day.
“The Administration continues to say that action will be taken if ‘allegations prove to be true,’ but it is difficult to have faith in their word when we know the VA has turned a blind eye to wrongdoing for so long,” Sen. Moran said. “The fact is, many of the same VA facilities and cases receiving attention today have already been investigated and the claims have been substantiated in years past – yet we do not know what action has been taken because the OMI reports are not made public. The release of past and future OMI reports will allow Americans, the press, Congress and veterans to see what the VA knew, when they knew it and what they did about it.”
Currently, OMI reports are not made public or released to Congress. Because OMI reports are not available for review, it is impossible to know whether the VA has taken any action to implement the OMI’s recommendations for improvement in each case of wrongdoing.
“The VA, and particularly the VA’s Office of the Medical Inspector, has consistently used a ‘harmless error’ defense, where the department acknowledges problems but claims patient care is unaffected,” Carolyn Lerner, who leads the OSC, wrote in a letter to President Obama on Monday. “This approach has prevented the VA from acknowledging the severity of systemic problems and from taking the necessary steps to provide quality care to veterans.”
On May 22, 2014, the full Senate Committee on Appropriations passed an amendment authored by Sen. Moran during mark-up of the fiscal year 2015 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill requiring the VA to submit routine Reports to Congress on the findings and recommendations stemming from any OMI report. The initial Report to Congress will cover Medical Inspector reports over the last four years detailing the findings, recommendations and legal or administrative actions resulting from the investigation. Sen. Moran’s amendment would require the VA to detail any legal or administrative action taken against employees identified in these investigations, who should not be serving veterans and whether such action was followed through.
In addition to passage by the Appropriations Committee, the amendment was also introduced as a stand-alone bill in the full Senate (S. 2401) by Sen. Moran and U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and has 7 bipartisan cosponsors.
According to OMI, their unreleased Blue Cover Reports contain conclusions and recommendations for improvement, based on findings from a case investigation or national assessment. The OMI’s recommendations may be for an individual facility, a Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) or all of VHA. The Under Secretary for Health approves all OMI final reports, and in response to a final report, VA facilities, VISNs and VHA program offices – as appropriate – prepare action plans to address report recommendations.
VHA policy requires that OMI provide copies of all final reports and their recommended action plans to the VA Secretary and nine other offices within the VA, including: Under Secretary for Health; Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health; Deputy Under Secretary of Health for Operations and Management; Office of Quality and Safety; Office of Performance Management; Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Services; Freedom of Information Act Officer; VA Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs; Office of Healthcare Inspections, VA Office of the Inspector General; and any other offices or facilities responsible for policy related to the report or for carrying out any part of the action plan.
It is unclear what criteria the VA uses to select either the OMI or the OIG with conducting investigations into VA wrongdoing.
Sen. Moran has been a member of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees for 18 years, chaired the Health Subcommittee in the House for two years, and has worked with nine VA Secretaries.
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Sen. Moran Presses Dept. of Justice for Policy Review Given JCC Shooting Suspect's Troubling Past
Jun 23 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, June 20, 2014, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) pressed U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for answers on Department of Justice protocol for plea bargains and witness protection oversight of violent criminals.
“Frazier Glenn Miller’s criminal history and relationship with the Department of Justice demonstrate the need to review federal anti-recidivism efforts and plea bargain policies related to violent criminals,” Sen. Moran said. “While a policy review and increased oversight cannot ease the deep pain and loss felt in Johnson County, it may result in an improved judicial system that could prevent violence from striking another community.”
Sen. Moran’s letter to Attorney General Holder examines the Department of Justice’s handling of Miller prior to his alleged 2014 murders in Johnson County, Kansas. Miller has an extensive criminal history and was previously deemed by the Department of Justice as a serious threat to society with a “callous disregard” for court orders. Despite this assessment, he received a plea bargain and significantly reduced prison sentence, a 115-year maximum reduced to a five-year minimum, in exchange for offering to cooperate with the federal government in the prosecution of related criminal cases. After serving just three years in prison, it appears Miller benefited from federally funded witness protection and continued to publicly discuss killing in the name of white-supremacy and anti-Semitism.
Click here to view a copy the letter to the Attorney General, or find the full text below:
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
June 20, 2014
The Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20530
Dear Attorney General Holder:
On April 13, 2014, three Americans were killed by gunfire in Johnson County, Kansas, at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and Village Shalom, a Jewish retirement community. Shortly after, you traveled to Kansas and delivered thoughtful remarks at a memorial service where you witnessed the deep pain and sorrow inflicted by hate-fueled violence.
The alleged killer, Frazier Glenn Miller, has since been charged with capital murder in the deaths of Reat Underwood and William Corporon, first-degree premeditated murder in the death of Terri LaManno, attempted first-degree murder of three men, aggravated assault against a woman, and discharging a firearm in an occupied building.
After Miller’s arrest, information surfaced about his significant criminal history, a sentence-reducing arrangement with the Department of Justice, and possible participation in the federal Witness Security Program.
In 1986, Miller was convicted on a federal contempt of court charge with a resulting sentence of one year in prison, with six months suspended. However, Miller disappeared while out on bond awaiting an appeal. In 1987, Miller was caught with explosives, firearms and ammunition.
Miller was indicted for conspiring to acquire stolen military weapons and for planning robberies and an assassination. Had the prosecution pursued all charges against him, Miller could have faced a 115-year prison sentence.
In a 1987 sentencing memorandum, the Department of Justice made clear the threat to society posed by Miller, “The offenses committed by the defendant, both those to which he has pled and those which were not charged by the government, were extremely serious and could have resulted in the loss of innocent life and the destruction of property. The federal government has a strong and legitimate interest in deterring any further lawless behavior by the defendant…” The document notes Miller’s “callous disregard” for court orders and describes him as someone “who can ‘inspire’ his followers to violence.”
The Department of Justice recommended that Miller receive a reduced five-year prison sentence after arranging a plea bargain that secured guilty pleas on some charges and Miller’s cooperation with the Department of Justice in federal investigation and prosecution of other white supremacists.
After serving three years of this prison sentence, it appears Miller was enrolled in the Witness Security Program, administered by the Marshals Service under the Department of Justice. Miller has since remained active in white supremacist circles and reportedly made more than 10,000 posts on Vanguard News Network, a white supremacist and anti-Semitic website, where his writings reference “exterminating” Jews and the need to “kill all” Jewish people.
Regretfully, we now know that the recommended five-year sentence failed to achieve the Justice Department’s goal of “deterring any further lawless behavior by the defendant.” I am concerned that Miller’s commitment to violence and self-proclaimed unshakable white supremacist beliefs were not appropriately considered by the Department of Justice during initial plea bargain considerations and in the years following his time in federal prison.
Americans can only wonder if Frazier Glenn Miller’s alleged 2014 crimes might have been prevented if he had been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in 1987 or was more carefully monitored once released from prison. While Miller is now incarcerated and the lives lost on April 13 are irreplaceable, a rigorous assessment of relevant Department of Justice policies and protocols may spare others from the agony and grief of violence.
Accordingly, I request that the Department of Justice please provide answers to the following questions:
1. Which factors are considered before offering a reduced sentence to defendants accused of violent crime or conspiring to commit an act of violence?
2. Which qualities are considered when identifying one or more co-conspirators for plea bargain negotiations? Have these changed since 1987?
3. The U.S. Marshals Service claims that less than 17 percent of protected witnesses with criminal histories are arrested and charged with crimes after joining the Witness Security Program. Has the Department of Justice identified patterns in cases of recidivism?
4. What plea bargain risk-reduction or oversight mechanisms are in place at the Department of Justice? Have these policies changed since the 1980s?
5. What Department of Justice policies are currently in place to reduce recidivism among violent criminals?
6. What level of scrutiny does the Department of Justice impose on Witness Security Program participants?
7. What level of scrutiny does the Department of Justice impose on Witness Security Program participants who leave the program?
8. Was Miller’s online activity monitored by the Department of Justice at any point prior to April 13, 2014?
I appreciated your personal attention to this issue in April and thank you for your Department’s consideration on this matter. I look forward to your response by July 31, 2014.
Sincerely,
_______________________
Jerry Moran
United States Senator
Sen. Moran Commends Hong Kong's New Guidelines for U.S. Beef Imports
Hong Kong to allow beef imports from cattle up to 30 months of age
Jun 18 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Hong Kong and the United States have reached an agreement to fully reopen Hong Kong’s borders to U.S. beef and beef products. The policy change comes 11 years after American beef was banned in Hong Kong amidst concerns about a positive case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) detected in the United States – a chronic degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. The new standard makes Hong Kong consistent with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines and will allow beef imports from U.S. cattle up to 30 months of age.
“American farmers and ranchers produce the highest quality agricultural products in the world,” Sen. Moran said. “Hong Kong’s new guidelines are a step in the right direction in regard to internationally-accepted, science-based trading standards. The guidelines will create more jobs and revenue in Kansas and our country, while providing foreign customers affordable access to our products.”
Prior to this agreement, only deboned beef from all cattle and certain bone-in beef from cattle less than 30 months of age could be shipped from the United States to Hong Kong. Earlier this year, Mexico, Uruguay, Ecuador and Sri Lanka also lifted their longstanding restrictions to provide full access for U.S. beef and beef products.
Hong Kong is currently the fourth largest market for U.S. beef and beef product exports, reaching historically high sales in 2013 with $823 million in import purchases of U.S. beef. In the first four months of 2014, U.S. beef and beef product exports to Hong Kong topped $307 million.
Experts in the United States and countries around the world have confirmed that U.S. beef is safe, with extremely low risk of BSE. There has never been a recorded case of BSE transmission to a human through American beef.
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Sen. Moran Accepting Applications for Fall 2014 Internships
Positions available in Washington, D.C., and Kansas offices
Jun 17 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced he is accepting applications for congressional internships in his Washington, D.C., and Kansas offices for fall 2014.
“Congressional internships offer Kansas students a great opportunity to learn about Congress and the legislative process,” Sen. Moran said. “I hope to give Kansans an opportunity similar to the one I had serving in a congressional office years ago.”
An internship in Sen. Moran’s office provides a unique opportunity to work closely with Senate staff on behalf of the state of Kansas. Legislative interns will gain a better understanding of the legislative process in the U.S. Congress, and develop knowledge and professional skills valuable to future career pursuits.
The intern program is open to qualified undergraduate and graduate students – or recent graduates – who have strong interest in public service and government and have achieved academic excellence. While preference is given to Kansas residents, students from all states are encouraged to apply.
The application deadline for fall 2014 internships is July 8, 2014. Applications may be obtained and completed under the “Services” section of Sen. Moran’s website at www.moran.senate.gov. Applicants should submit a completed application form, resume, academic transcript, two letters of recommendation and a cover letter explaining their interest in public service and detailing a policy issue of personal importance. Please submit required materials to: internships@moran.senate.gov
For questions, please contact Sen. Moran’s office at internships@moran.senate.gov or call 202-224-6521 and request to speak with the Intern Coordinator.
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Sens. Moran, Tester, King, Collins and McCain Call on VA Secretary Gibson for Answers
Rural Veterans' Health Care Access Program in Danger of Cancelation
Jun 13 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has asked acting Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sloan Gibson to explain why the VA is not being straightforward with Congress about the future of the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) program, which rural veterans rely on for access to timely, quality health care. While the VA continues to tell Members of Congress that no decision has been made about the future of the successful pilot program, which expires in September 2014, sources tell Sen. Moran that the national program director for ARCH directed the five pilot sites several months ago to begin contacting veterans who participate in ARCH to let them know the program would be ending. The letter to Sec. Gibson is cosigned by U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Angus King (I-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).
“For reasons we do not understand, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is choosing – at VHA’s own initiative – to end this successful program despite the more than 90 percent satisfaction rate communicated by veterans…” Sens. Moran, Tester, King, Collins and McCain wrote to Sec. Gibson. “All along, the VHA gave us the impression that they were waiting on analysis about the success of ARCH to inform their decision about extending the program – this is a misleading storyline at best. We are deeply disappointed by this breach of trust because those who suffer from this recklessness are veterans.”
Since 2011, the ARCH pilot program has been operating in five rural sites – Caribou, Maine; Farmville, Virginia; Pratt, Kansas; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Billings, Montana – offering rural veterans the opportunity to access health care services from community providers if they reside at least one hour from a VA medical center or Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Veterans are overwhelmingly satisfied with this program and the medical services they are receiving, which falls directly in line with the VA’s recent statements that the Department is working to “accelerate access to care” for veterans across the country. It is becoming clear that VHA made plans months ago to dismantle the program, not seek extension of the contracts, and not offer access to services that veterans have come to appreciate and rely upon.
The senators wrote, “Instead of continuing to work with patients and connecting them with providers in their local area, VA employees at these pilot sites were directed to report weekly to VHA regarding alternate plans to send veterans back to VA facilities. For example, an 82 year old veteran who relies on ARCH is concerned about his canceled services and the prospect of again having to drive 4 hours with his oxygen tank for monthly visits at a VA medical center. What is also troubling about this situation is that the VHA made an intentional decision not to inform Congress about their plans to discontinue and not extend this program.”
This week the Senate approved the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 and on May 22, 2014, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved legislation directing the VA to continue providing medical care through ARCH in fiscal year 2015 using existing authorities. In light of these legislative actions, Sens. Moran, Tester, King, Collins and McCain call on Sec. Gibson to take control of VHA’s actions to dismantle ARCH and make certain that veterans who are currently receiving medical services through ARCH will continue to receive that care.
Please find the full text of the letter below:
The Honorable Sloan Gibson
Acting Secretary
Veterans Affairs Department
810 Vermont Ave, N. W.
Washington, D.C. 20420
Dear Secretary Gibson,
This week the Senate approved the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014. We hope that negotiations with the House will move quickly and that the president will soon sign a bill into law. As a result, we expect that the Department of Veterans Affairs will soon provide veterans with the choice to access timely, quality health care from non-VA providers –a necessary choice because of the burden of travel and long wait-times that veterans experience across the country.
While the legislative process continues, we want to make certain that veterans who are currently receiving medical care through the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) Program do not experience a lapse in access to this care. You have the authority to extend contracted medical services under Title 38, Sec 1703 and we are seeking your immediate action to halt the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in their efforts to discontinue the ARCH medical care services which currently benefit several thousand rural veterans in our states.
Since 2011, the ARCH pilot program has been operating in five rural sites – Caribou, Maine, Farmville, Virginia, Pratt, Kansas, Flagstaff, Arizona, and Billings and Anaconda, Montana – offering rural veterans the opportunity to access health care services from community providers if they reside at least one hour from a VA medical center or Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Veterans are overwhelmingly satisfied with this program and the medical services they are receiving, which falls directly in line with your agency initiative to “accelerate access to care” for veterans across the country. Yet, we’ve come to learn that the VHA made plans months ago to dismantle the program, not seek extension of the contracts, and not offer access to services that veterans have come to appreciate and rely upon.
On March 26, 2014, the VHA directed VA employees at the five pilot sites to begin contacting veterans who participate in ARCH to inform them that the program is ending. Instead of continuing to work with patients and connecting them with providers in their local area, VA employees at these pilot sites were directed to report weekly to VHA regarding alternate plans to send veterans back to VA facilities. What is also troubling about this situation is that the VHA made an intentional decision not to inform Congress about its plans to discontinue this program.
During the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on March 12, 2014, then-Secretary Shinseki stated that he would share a report that detailed the operations of ARCH and recommendations on the future of the program with Members of the Committee. In fact, the Secretary stated the report would be on his desk “by sunset” in order to make certain that information was then provided to the Committee. Weeks passed and Secretary Shinseki did not provide the report or any insight regarding the future of ARCH. As such, staff requested a briefing and delivery of the report as promised by the Secretary, which resulted in a meeting on April 11, 2014, with the Office of Rural Health Director Gina Capra, along with other VHA officials who participated by conference call. Unfortunately, the VA yet again failed to deliver the report as anticipated or provide any insight as to a decision regarding the future of the ARCH program, which they indicated was still pending senior leadership review.
We now know that VHA did, in fact, make a decision and took steps in March to communicate to veterans they would be severing ties with their currently contracted non-VA providers. For reasons we do not understand, the VHA is choosing – at VHA’s own initiative - to end this successful program despite the over 90 percent satisfaction rate communicated by veterans in survey results and independently assessed by Altarum. All along, the VHA gave us the impression that it was waiting on analysis about the success of ARCH to inform its decision about extending the program. We are deeply disappointed by this breach of trust because those who suffer from this recklessness are veterans.
On May 22, 2014, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved legislation directing the VA to continue providing medical care through ARCH in Fiscal Year 2015 using existing authorities. In light of this legislative action and the Senate passage of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, we strongly urge you stop VHA’s plans to dismantle ARCH and make certain that veterans who are currently receiving medical services through ARCH will continue to receive that care.
We would appreciate a timely response within fourteen days.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Minority Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee members urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to join efforts with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General’s investigation into misconduct at VA facilities.
“We would like to ensure that there is full participation from the Department of Justice in regard to the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General’s investigation into widespread allegations of gross misconduct by employees across the country at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs),” the senators wrote.
The senators added that the necessary resources would be available to DOJ.
“The Senate Commerce Justice and Science Fiscal Year 2015 appropriations bill includes the necessary resources for the Department of Justice’s involvement in determining whether any current or former VA officials violated the law, with a report to be issued 30 days after enactment about the actions that DOJ has undertaken in this regard.”
Find the full text of the letter below:
June 11, 2014
The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.
United States Attorney General
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530
Dear Attorney General Holder:
We would like to ensure that there is full participation from the Department of Justice in regard to the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General’s investigation into widespread allegations of gross misconduct by employees across the country at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs). Regretfully, as the interim report establishes, many veterans have not been served as honorably by our veterans’ healthcare system, as they were when they represented our country in uniform.
As you may know, the Senate Commerce Justice and Science Fiscal Year 2015 appropriations bill includes the necessary resources for the Department of Justice’s involvement in determining whether any current or former VA officials violated the law, with a report to be issued 30 days after enactment about the actions that DOJ has undertaken in this regard. This action by the Senate Appropriations Committee shows broad, bipartisan support in Congress for such an investigation to proceed and swift actions be taken immediately. We must hold responsible parties accountable for any criminal wrongdoings, rid our entire system of bad actors and move forward as a country able to honor our commitment and provide the best, timely healthcare for all veterans.
Given the scope and severity of the current wait time and scheduling data manipulation allegations, we appreciate your willingness to assist in ongoing efforts and helping to get to the bottom of these unacceptable, systemic problems. We thank you and look forward to hearing about your leadership efforts in this respect.
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Sens. Moran and Hirono Push to Expand Veteran Emergency Care
On The Heels Of The Bipartisan VA Bill Passage, Moran and Hirono Introduce Legislation That Cuts Red Tape For Veterans Needing Emergency Health Procedures
Jun 12 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced the Veterans Emergency Health Safety Net Expansion Act of 2014. This legislation expands access to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) emergency safety net to all VA-enrolled veterans who rely solely on the VA for their medical care. The Moran-Hirono bill helps veterans by cutting red tape and eliminating the 24-month rule that can prevent veterans from receiving reimbursements for their emergency medical expenses.
“Veterans should not be forced to bear the burden of emergency health care costs because of the dysfunctional, bureaucratic VA system,” Sen. Moran said. “Those who have served our nation with duty and honor deserve quality health care when they need it. As a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Member, I am committed to improving access to care for veterans in Kansas and across the country.”
Director of National Legislative Service at Veterans of Foreign Wars Raymond C. Kelley said, “The VFW thanks Senators Hirono and Moran for introducing the Veterans Emergency Health Safety Net Expansion Act of 2014. This important legislation would ensure that veterans who seek emergency care will no longer be responsible for financially devastating medical bills, simply because they have not received VA care in the previous 24 months. It would also close a loophole that allows veterans’ insurance companies to withhold reimbursements from VA.”
The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed last year a similar measure by Sens. Moran and Hirono, although that measure was included in an omnibus bill that was eventually blocked from passage. The current VA system creates a catch-22 for more than one million veterans who rely solely on the VA for their medical care. A veteran who receives emergency care at a non-VA facility can be reimbursed for those costs only if that veteran has also received care at a VA facility in the preceding 24 months. This creates an extreme financial hardship for veterans who experience a medical emergency. The Veterans Emergency Health Safety Net Expansion Act waives this 24-month rule. The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed a similar measure last year by Sens. Moran and Hirono, although that reform would have only waived the 24-month rule for newly enrolled veterans waiting for their first appointment, not fully repealing it.
The Veterans Emergency Health Safety Net Expansion Act is fully paid for and includes a provision that prevents insurance companies from denying or limiting reimbursements to the VA for medical care provided to insured veterans on the basis that the VA is not an in-network provider. According to the VA, this provision is projected to raise over $98 million in 2015 and $1.1 billion over 10 years.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a sponsor of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, released the following statement today on the Senate’s vote on the compromise bill:
"As a sponsor of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, I am pleased the Senate has risen to the occasion and come together on this critical legislation," Sen. Moran said. "I am still in Kansas attending to my family, but there should be no question of my support for this bill. Had I been in Washington, I would have joined my colleagues in voting in favor of this bipartisan plan to help make certain veterans receive the access to quality, timely care they deserve. I will continue to work to address the challenges and problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs so our nation’s heroes have a VA worthy of their service."
Sen. Moran laid his father and World War II Veteran Ray E. Moran to rest yesterday in Plainville, Kansas. Last Thursday, he made a plea on the Senate floor for his colleagues to put politics aside and pass legislation that truly addresses the failures within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Sen. Moran called on the Senate to emulate the men and women commemorated by the War Memorials on the National Mall, individuals who served our country with honor, and were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Click here to watch Sen. Moran’s remarks on YouTube.
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