It’s unusual for this spectator to suggest a federal standard, much less a Biden administration Cabinet associate, did the right thing. However, in at least one instance, for a representative did just that. However, the standard did but only to cure a issue his own agency’s mismanagement and corruption had created.
A recent House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing looked into a scandal in which senior Veterans Administration/Affairs (VA ) officials received millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bonuses they did not get. When he finally found the scandal, Secretary Denis McDonough took immediate action to retract and recover the funds from the taxpayers, but the ordeal raises serious questions about the administrative chaos that caused this mess.
Bureaucratic Cash Grab
The “burn pits” policy, which expanded registration for benefits for veterans exposed to harmful materials, was the source of the bonuses in question. In that expenses, Congress authorized a brand-new incentive program known as essential skill incentives to encourage those in mission-critical positions who would have more responsibilities as a result of the rise in the VA’s caseload.
As McDonough noted in his testimony to the committee, most of the incentive payments have gone to VA personnel out in the field ( i. e., at VA clinics ) working in areas such as housekeeping, food service, police, and HR. What would be considered a respectable Christmas benefit or year-end achievement award in the private sector would be on average$ 8, 000.
In contrast, the prizes to senior executives at the VA central office were on average close to$ 60, 000, which is nearly seven times the amount that field staff are paid on average, and it’s sometimes even more than what field workers might receive in a year. The process by which the central office staff were given their incentives left a lot to be desired, the inspector general ( IG ) explained in testimony to the committee and in a longer report released last month.
In two branches of the VA,” the only … senior executives not offered ]incentives ] were those considered ineligible under the delegation of authority …]i. e., political appointees] and one senior executive … due to performance issues” (emphasis original ). What started out as a program to reward performance in mission-critical positions evolved into an” Oprah’s Favorite Things” adobe: You get a bonus! You get a prize! Everyone gets a benefit!! !
Rather than including individualized reasons for the prizes, officials otherwise submitted a cover, one- phrase information justifying incentives for more than 100 individuals, many of whom perform varied functions. One HR official told the IG the process was absurd:” I ca n’t even give a GS]general schedule, i. e., lower- ranking ] employee a special contribution award for$ 250 without writing an entire page about how great they are and forms and process. And this, with the injury of a pencil and three words, they’re saying these individuals are important because they’re important, giving all these persons this huge amount of money”.
Another individual in the general counsel’s department thought the approach” silly”—” I honestly had n’t think it. I said,’ Is that all that was it?'” — because senior executives “were all given 25 percent]bonuses ] and the justification was … two sentences”.
In the case of one VA tree, officials claimed,” Top Executives ‘ responsibilities are on par with those of key executives in the personal business”, making their settlement paltry by comparison. ( Seriously? ) There is, of course, another significant difference: unlike most government bureaucrats, CEOs in the private sector can and do be fired for poor performance. Additionally, the office’s low turnover level raises the question of why VA would need to pay 25 % bonuses to keep staff.
The IG pointed out that some of the staff involved in this scandal may have broken a criminal law prohibiting federal employees from speaking directly about issues of financial interest. Although none of these conflicted people had the final say in the bonuses, they did engage in discussions in which they had a stake in money, which could lead to termination, if not even prosecution.
Even though more junior employees in her office raised concerns with her, the assistant secretary for HR reacted in a lackadaisical manner in favor of the bonuses. The assistant secretary told the IG that her approval of the bonuses was” just a signature along the way.”
The entire IG report reads like an episode of” Yes, Minister“, with equal parts incompetence, inattentiveness, and connivance as officials made a grab for taxpayer cash.
Belated Accountability
Even McDonough’s explanation of the scandal seems absurd. Because VA employees were visiting his office wondering why they had n’t received the bonuses they had been anticipating, the department’s chief financial officer reported to him about a potential issue. Will you get moving and write me this large taxpayer check that you do n’t already deserve? ?
To his credit, McDonough did take decisive action once he ( finally ) learned about this scandal. Within a week, he publicly acknowledged the issue, canceled the pending payments, took steps to recoup the payments that had already been made, increased the levels of bonuses and checks for senior executives, and referred the matter to the IG. McDonough at least comprehends a fundamental rule of crisis management: Get all the facts out as soon as possible, because trying to cover up or sugarcoat the situation will only make things worse.
The VA has complied with all of the IG’s recommendations and recovered more than 92 % of the bonuses that had already been distributed, according to the secretary. However, one executive told the IG that because “people did all kinds of things to improve their lives” with the money and do n’t have the cash to pay it back, it has not come without grumbling. Taxpayers, including this one, would argue they never should have gotten the money to begin with.
The true test of accountability will be in the extent that senior staff members, including both political appointees under the secretary, are held accountable for their actions, including dismissal. McDonough has so far done a remarkable job of eradicating the mess that VA has created, but getting rid of those who prioritize serving the interests of the public interest over preventing this kind of scandal also means getting rid of the culprits who put their own money on hold.
