WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today attended the president’s signing of an executive order at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within the VA.

Today’s executive action mirrors a proposal first introduced by Isakson in his Veterans First Act from last Congress. The executive order also appoints a special assistant to serve as executive director of the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within 45 days of the signing of the order.

“I applaud President Trump for making our veterans a top priority. Today’s action to establish the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection is a critical step toward helping Secretary Shulkin hold bad actors at the VA accountable,” said Isakson. “I look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with the VA and the White House on efforts to improve care and services for our veterans. To that end, we are working on bipartisan legislation in the Senate to complement these efforts to further improve accountability at the VA.”

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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 115th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.