Region's congressman seeking improved oversight of VA modernization initiatives

Northwest Indiana's representative in Congress is working to increase oversight of major acquisition programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to protect American taxpayers and ensure military veterans are receiving everything to which they're entitled.

U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, recently filed the Acquisition Review Board Act to create a formal structure for review and approval of ongoing VA improvement efforts, including Electronic Health Record Modernization, Financial Management and Business Transformation, and Supply Chain Modernization.

Under the plan, the review board would conduct meetings at specific points in the acquisition process to determine whether all requirements are being met, and take additional action to resolve problems when an acquisition fails to comply with its baseline cost, schedule or performance.

Mrvan told his colleagues on the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Wednesday that the legislation was inspired in part by VA information technology (IT) issues he identified last year as chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.

"No matter the project — whether it is the electronic health record, supply chain system, human resources system or financial management system — VA has been trying unsuccessfully for decades to modernize key IT systems. The common thread between these projects has been a lack of acquisition, accountability and management," Mrvan said.

"Programs have been allowed to flounder, go off task, lag in schedule and result in cost overruns because there have been no formal checks and balances within VA. The VA Acquisition Review Board Act will provide a structure for those checks and balances."

Mrvan said with billions of dollars at stake, and millions of veterans relying on the VA, it's imperative that Congress ensures VA modernization initiatives are done right the first time.

"Veterans, employees and taxpayers deserve better, and I know my colleagues across the aisle are just as interested as I am in providing better results to veterans through efficient and effective government," Mrvan said.

His legislation, cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Florida, is likely to advance for action by the full House in coming months. It must win majority approval in both the House and Senate to go to Democratic President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

Mrvan is serving his second, two-year term representing some 750,000 residents of Lake, Porter, and northwest LaPorte counties in the House.