Imperial Valley News

“We are not looking for a piecemeal approach to structuring VA to best address the needs of America’s veterans,” said Chairman Filner.  “Rather, we want to hear about your vision and your assessment of what tools you need, including a proposal that would amend Title 38 to add an additional Assistant Secretary and eight Deputy Assistant Secretaries. Our hope is to come out of this with a plan we can all get behind that meets the needs of the Department and our veterans.”

Current law provides for “not more than seven Assistant Secretaries” and limits the number of Deputy Assistant Secretaries to a number “not exceeding 19, as the Secretary may determine.”  As part of its restructuring efforts, the VA is seeking legislation that would authorize an additional Assistant Secretary and eight Deputy Assistant Secretaries.  This section was last amended in 2002, when one Assistant Secretary, one Deputy Assistant Secretary, and an additional Assistant Secretary function covering  “[o]perations, preparedness, security, and law enforcement.” 

Secretary Shinseki discussed his proposal to add an additional Assistant Secretary and increase the number of Deputy Assistant Secretaries by 40 percent.  He testified that adding positions “is not about creating a new layer of bureaucracy – it is about streamlining and aligning our organization in ways that will better align our priorities with the most responsible use of funds entrusted to the Department.” 

For both Information Technology and acquisitions, Secretary Shinseki said, “past weaknesses have stemmed from overly decentralized control, lack of enterprise-wide information and, in some cases, improvised policies.  Managers in the field lacked supervision, guidance, and sustained support; and policies were applied inconsistently.”  He identified the next step to producing better results as “strengthening management infrastructure, especially pursuing acquisition reform, paired with continued consolidation of Information Technology management.”

According to the Secretary’s written statement this proposal is “cost-neutral,” with an expectation of savings over time.  The proposal would be “implemented with existing resources.”

Filner concluded: “I am supportive of the Secretary’s goal to more efficiently organize the functions of the VA.  Today served as a starting point to better understand the Secretary’s vision for an improved agency that is responsive to the needs of America’s veterans.  I remain confident as we move forward that we will reach our shared goals of improving spending controls, increasing transparency, and eliminating the waste, fraud and abuse that plagues the current system and hurts veterans.  Members of this Committee are committed to working with VA leaders as we await a more detailed proposal from the Administration.”