NW Kansas News

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill introduced by Senator Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas and chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. The legislation aims to prevent Critical Skill Incentive (CSI) payments under the PACT Act from being given 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 expressed his concerns regarding past misuse of taxpayer funds: “Under the previous administration, VA leadership used the PACT Act's critical skill payments to boost the salaries of senior executives in Washington,” said Sen. Moran. He added that this misuse led to the creation of his bill, the Stop GREED Act, which seeks to ensure these resources support those directly serving veterans and increase transparency in VA spending.

In 2023, an investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General found that $10.8 million intended for rank-and-file employees was improperly allocated to senior executives at VACO instead. Following this revelation, Senator Moran collaborated with Senators Marsha Blackburn and Thom Tillis on S.396, also known as the Stop Government Rewards Enriching Executives in the District – or Stop GREED –Act.

The broader legislation also includes measures from another act aimed at improving budget transparency and authorizing VA’s Veterans Experience Office formally. This is part of efforts led by Senator Dan Sullivan through S.264 and backed by Senators Angus King and John Cornyn.