Huelskamp: VA Intentionally Evasive with Answers on Excessive Travel and Conference Spending
November 28, 2012
Huelskamp: VA Intentionally Evasive with Answers on Excessive Travel and Conference Spending
(WASHINGTON) – The House Veterans' Affairs Committee held an investigative hearing to question officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs about the excessive spending on conferences and travel in the agency. Congressman Tim Huelskamp, a member of the Committee, asked witnesses about why his own inquiries about conferences and travel have gone unanswered for 106 days.
In August and September, Congressman Huelskamp's office began an investigation into the VA's Golden Age Games and the abnormally large amounts of money spent to plan and host the games at a luxurious Hawaiian resort. The office requested detailed information about the games – including why more than $1 million was spent on an event planner from Alaska – but has yet to receive answers.
During the hearing, Congressman Huelskamp posed the questions he sent in writing weeks ago, but his questions were met with the same reception: no answers. The full list of questions can be found below.
The full video can be viewed here.
Key exchange from the hearing:
Hon. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, after Congressman Huelskamp listed his unanswered questions: "Mr. Huelskamp, listening to you go through that list is instructive, I think, for everybody sitting here. First of all, your commitment to doing oversight and doing it well, we respect and appreciate. But just going through that list, you can see that times every member in this Committee in the Senate and House side that it might be a bit challenging to field all those."
Congressman Tim Huelskamp: "Does anybody over there know who planned the games? When will you find it out? In another 106 days? You mean you want to wait 106 days? These are simple questions. I don't want to be brutal here, but this is not an issue of perception. This is an issue of competence. This is an issue of competence, a failure to either know the answer or refuse to answer them. It's not about me personally. It's about 700,000 constituents who want an answer. It's about a gentleman in Syracuse, Kansas who had to drive 522 miles to the nearest VA hospital. In that time you can fly folks to Orlando for a great conference. And you won't even tell me who they are. You won't even tell the American people who attended, who planned those conferences. How do you hold people accountable for the budget when you won't even tell us what the budget was?"
After the hearing, Congressman Huelskamp said:
"The questions I posed would take one phone call to answer, yet the VA is obviously and intentionally stalling on providing answers. Where is the openness? Apparently President Obama's pledge to have the 'most open and transparent administration in history' has yet to take hold in the VA. With more than 300,000 employees and an obligation to comply with congressional oversight investigations, there is absolutely no reason why the VA cannot get the answers we need. Our veterans deserve to know why bureaucrats feel it is more important to indulge in expensive and costly travel and conferences than it is to take care of our wounded warriors and veterans with serious physical and mental health needs. It is beyond shameful that we had to have this hearing to begin with."
Congressman Huelskamp read his entire list of unanswered questions:
1. Will you provide a list of all the attendees at the VA Human Resources Conference in Orlando, Florida, held July 11-15, 2011?
2. Will you provide a list of all the attendees at the VA Human Resources Conference in Orlando, Florida, held August 8-12, 2011?
3. Will you provide a list of all the individuals involved in planning and approving the July 2011 and August 2011 Human Resources conferences?
4. Did Mr. Sepúlveda receive a severance package or exit bonus? If so, what were the exact terms of this package or bonus? What is the date of his final paycheck and/or pay period? Did Mr. Sepúlveda receive a payout for accrued vacation time? If so, what was the total dollar amount of this payout?
5. The VA has stated that "employees who have misused taxpayer dollars or violated VA standards of conduct will be held accountable." What exactly does "held accountable" mean? Will employees be fired? Will employees be required to pay fair market value for the gifts they illegally accepted? Will employees face civil or criminal penalties?
6. Will you provide the names and titles of the employees who are being held accountable and the specific details of the actions being taken against them?
7. Will you provide a complete, detailed list of all expenditures for the 2011 Golden Age Games?
8. Will you provide a complete list of all individuals from the Department of Veterans Affairs in attendance at the 2011 games, including title, pay, and their purpose for attending?
9. Will you provide a complete list of all individuals from the Department of Veterans Affairs involved in planning and implementing the 2011 games, including their title and pay.
10. Will you provide the exact number of veterans in attendance at the 2011 games.
11. What was the exact process through which Alaska Destination Specialists was selected to provide event planning services? Was this contract competitively bid? Why was an event planning service used when VA employs individuals specifically for the purpose of planning the Golden Age Games?
12. Will you provide a complete list of each advance trip to Hawaii ahead of the games for scouting, planning and set up purposes?
13. Will you provide a complete, detailed list of all expenditures for each advance trip?
14. Will you provide a complete list of staff attending each advance trip, including their title, pay, and purpose for attending?
15. Will you provide a complete list of all event planners used for other National Veterans Golden Age Games and the amount the VA paid for their services?
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