Representative Mark Meadows (NC-11) questioned Department of Veterans Affairs officials today at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s hearing on mismanagement and wasteful spending at the agency.
“It is unacceptable for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on employee conferences while our veterans are forced to wait nearly two years for their claims to be processed,” Meadows said. “When VA conference planners asked their superiors whether there would be enough funding available for their extravagant events, they were told, ‘You don’t have to worry about a thing.’ Shouldn’t the men and women who bravely served our country be the ones receiving that assurance?
“My staff and I are actively working with veterans in Western North Carolina whose claims are trapped in the VA’s backlog. Since January, our office alone has received more than 300 requests for assistance from veterans having a difficult time dealing with the VA. We will continue to hold this agency accountable to make sure the selfless men and women who defended our nation are treated with the honor and respect they deserve.”
