The deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and logistics at the Department of Veterans Affairs stated on May 14 that the VA has been improperly spending at least $5 billion annually on medical care and supplies while not following mandated competitive bidding and written contracts.
The deputy assistant secretary, Jan Frye, said that “gross mismanagement” by senior VA officials has caused billions of dollars to be wasted, which has resulted in making a “mockery” of federal laws concerning the purchase of goods and services. Frye made her remarks to the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations.
“I can state without reservation that VA has and continues to waste millions of dollars by paying excessive prices for goods and services due to breaches of federal laws,” Frye said to the House subcommittee.
Frye first raised concerns over the issues she discussed with the House subcommittee in a 35-page memo to VA Secretary Robert McDonald earlier this year.
Total VA requested funding for the 2015 fiscal year stood at $163.9 billion, according to the VA. The 2015 figure represents a nearly 68 percent increase from 2009.
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
