Mobile Courant

Following calls by U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and other Senate colleagues for increased oversight, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has scheduled a hearing on the $15 billion budget shortfall at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In August, Senator Tuberville penned an op-ed in the Daily Caller exposing the VA’s budget shortfall. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville raised concerns about the lack of transparency at the VA and urged Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) to hold an oversight hearing immediately.

In addition to the op-ed, Sen. Tuberville and his colleagues previously sent a letter to Chairman Tester demanding a hearing to evaluate the budget lapse and assess whether mismanagement contributed to it.

“After weeks of waiting, I am happy to see Senator Tester finally agree to my insistence that a hearing must be held on the budget crisis at the VA,” said Senator Tuberville. “This glaring misuse of taxpayer money at the Biden-Harris VA shouldn’t be brushed off. Our veterans deserve better.”

At the hearing, Sen. Tuberville intends to ask questions related to the timing of the VA’s notice to Congress on the shortfalls, workforce challenges impacting the budget, and why senior leaders aren’t being held accountable for these frequent budget missteps. He aims to understand how this happened and ensure appropriate measures are in place so it does not recur.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.