(Big Sandy, Mont.) – President Donald Trump today signed into law U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s bipartisan legislation to bring more accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  

Tester authored the bill with Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Marco Rubio to bring much-needed reforms to the VA by streamlining the process for reviewing and firing bad employees while protecting whistleblowers.

“This law shows what happens when we put politics aside and work to make sure the VA can provide the best possible care and benefits for Montana veterans,” said Tester, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “The VA will now have the tools it needs to hold bad employees accountable and protect whistleblowers from the threat of retaliation.”

Tester’s VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act will: 

• Allow the VA to more quickly fire bad employees without sacrificing due process rights.
• Strengthen protections for whistleblowers.
• Improve VA leadership through training and incentivizing managers to address poor performance.
• Expedite the process for hiring VA Medical Center Directors.

Tester’s bill is widely supported by veterans, advocates and leaders at the VA.

In April, President Trump signed Tester’s Veterans Choice Program Improvement Act into law.

A summary of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act can be found online HERE.