NW Kansas News

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation introduced by Senator Jerry Moran, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. The legislation aims to prevent PACT Act Critical Skill Incentive (CSI) payments from being allocated to Senior Executive Service employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office in Washington, D.C. This measure was included in S.423, known as the Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act.

Senator Moran commented on the issue, stating: “Under the previous administration, VA leadership used the PACT Act's critical skill payments to boost the salaries of senior executives in Washington.” He further explained that this misuse led to his proposal of the Stop GREED Act to ensure resources are directed towards supporting those who serve veterans directly and to enhance transparency regarding taxpayer dollar expenditure.

In collaboration with Senators Marsha Blackburn and Thom Tillis, Senator Moran introduced S.396, titled Stop Government Rewards Enriching Executives in the District – or Stop GREED – Act. This followed a report by the VA Office of Inspector General which disclosed that $10.8 million intended for rank-and-file employees was improperly awarded to senior executives at VACO.

Additionally, Senator Dan Sullivan introduced underlying legislation named Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of 2025 – or PRO Veterans Act. It mandates quarterly budget reporting after a failure by the department in 2024 to disclose a significant budget shortfall promptly. The bill also incorporates provisions from S.264, Improving Veterans’ Experience Act of 2025, proposed by Senators Angus King and John Cornyn, which seeks formal authorization for VA’s Veterans Experience Office.

The complete text of this legislation is available online.