WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Chairwoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) released the below statement after sending a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requesting information about VA’s use of professional and management consultants who may have conflicts of interest.
“It is absolutely critical that every dollar spent by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) directly benefits our veterans,” said Chairwoman Kiggans. “The VA spends roughly $3 billion a year on consulting services. It is the Department’s responsibility to make sure these firms are providing value to veterans…that means they should not have any conflicts of interest which might cause them to prioritize profits over the health and wellbeing of the patient population they serve. I have heard an increasing number of complaints that the VA is frequently hiring consultants without thorough vetting. This creates an environment where the contracts don’t produce any value and the taxpayers’ dollars are wasted; that is unacceptable.”
According to analysis conducted by the Government Accountability Office of data contained in the Federal Procurement Data System, the VA spends roughly $3 billion annually on professional and management consultants. These firms often have access to proprietary information, hold multiple contracts with the Department, and work for VA contractors, creating potential conflicts of interest. To hold VA and professional and management consulting firms accountable, Chairwoman Kiggans has requested VA contracting data to support Congressional oversight of VA’s use of management consultants.
The letter may be found here.
Good job!