Rep. Jeff Miller and Sen. Bernie Sanders' bill would give the VA Secretary new authority. Lawmakers announce VA deal

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Jeff Miller have reached a $17 billion agreement to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The legislation, which was announced Monday afternoon, will give the VA secretary broad new authority to fire or demote senior officials accused of mismanagement and will create a system where veterans can seek private care if VA doctors are unable to treat the patients within 14 days.


“We have a VA that is in crisis today. This agreement will go a long way to helping resolve the crisis,” Miller said. “Helping get veterans off waiting lists is extremely important and this bill does that.”

Sanders said the bill is a true compromise from Democrats and Republicans in a “dysfunctional” Congress.

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“Rather than go through why we didn’t do this a month ago and get it done, the important point is that we are here together having done something,” Sanders said. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished.”

The deal will allocate $5 billion to hire new doctors and nurses and removes bureaucratic barriers that slowed hiring so the VA can more quickly fill medical vacancies.

The legislation must be approved by the House and Senate and time is running short before Congress goes on a five-week recess Friday. Last week, Miller said his goal is to send a bill to President Barack Obama for his signature before the August recess. If the Senate is able to clear procedural hurdles in time, aides are eyeing Thursday as a potential day to vote on the agreement.

Miller said on Monday he believes the House will vote on the bill first.

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There is intense political pressure for Congress to help veterans in the wake of revelations that poor health care resulted in deaths in some instances.

Still, there could be some resistance among House Republicans because the bill is not entirely paid for with spending cuts.

On Sunday night, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) urged lawmakers to hold off on supporting the package until the Congressional Budget Office is able to give a precise estimate of the bill’s cost. The price tag for VA reforms has been a major roadblock in passing legislation. When the Senate and House passed their initial legislation, a $50 billion cost estimate spooked lawmakers.

The bill looks to limit those costs by capping costs for veterans seeking private care.

The legislation also prohibit bonuses for VA employees through fiscal year 2016 and provides authorization for 27 new “major medical facility” leases — a win for Sanders who repeatedly stressed the need to expand the VA’s space.

The deal also moves on the continued controversy of how the military responds to sexual assault within its ranks. The Miller-Sanders agreement directs the VA and the Department of Defense to conduct an assessment each year on how the agencies are treating victims and helping them transition from the military after an assault. The legislation will also allow current service members to use the VA’s sexual assault counseling centers.

Burgess Everett contributed to this report.