Chair and Vice Chair of Senate Appropriations Continue Strong Push for Accountability

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS), today announced subcommittee passage of the Fiscal Year 2015 CJS appropriations bill, which contains critical provisions related to recently revealed allegations that veterans have been denied timely access to healthcare at the Department of Veterans Affairs:

“The bill once again provides robust funding for the Department of Justice and law enforcement grant programs that are essential to state and local law enforcement efforts,” said Shelby.  “We have also included language calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  This bill ensures that the Department will have the resources necessary to conduct criminal and civil investigations into the troubling allegations that the VA falsified patient records at centers and clinics across the country.  This is a terrible national tragedy and those responsible must be held accountable.”

The legislation comes on the heels of a joint letter from Shelby and Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) last week calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the VA scandal and hold responsible individuals accountable.