Miller to VA: "I'm perplexed and disappointed" by the slow pace of reform New VA Secretary Bob McDonald pledged to have his tarnished agency's reputation back on track by next Veterans Day and announced "the largest restructuring in the department's history," along with a slew of reforms - from hiring doctors and nurses to a new veteran-centric Internet site - on the eve of the holiday. But on Thursday, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chair of the House Veterans" Affairs Committee, told an oversight hearing that he is "perplexed and disappointed," and called the VA's effort to punish leaders responsible for lying about how long veterans have had to wait for medical appointments "nonexistent." Over the summer, Congress passed the Veterans Choice and Accountability Act to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs after the nationwide scandal over the cover-up of thousands of veterans waiting for health care. President Obama signed the bill into law. Since then, only one senior VA employee has been fired. But that removal was not related to hiding wait times, Miller said. "I do not understand, in the wake of the biggest scandal in VA's history, how only 42 employees - only four of which appear to be senior executives - have been proposed for discipline with none yet removed," Miller said. "It is also clear that VA's attempt to instill accountability for these leaders has been both nearly non-existent and rife with self-inflicted roadblocks to real reform,"Miller said. Miller called the VA instituting a five-day advance notice of disciplinary action a "self-inflicted roadblock" which has given some employees enough time to retire with benefits before being fired. As a result, he will introduce a bill that would allow McDonald to slash an employee's pension by the number of years that he or she participated in wrongdoing or poor behavior. McDonald has said that he is only following the law, and if members of Congress want him to prevent someone from receiving retirement benefits, they'll need to change the law. VA officials told committee staff Wednesday that there is a list of 5,000 VA employees who could receive possible "disciplinary action." There's also a list of more than 1,000 employees identified for proposed firing for poor performance. Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson said that VA officials are trying to ensure that disciplinary action will stick so that employees cannot challenge the punishment. He said the VA would "send the wrong message to veterans" if poor employees are given their jobs back on appeal. He warned that that could happen if the VA failed to provide enough evidence that proved their firing was executed correctly. "It's important to understand what the new law does and what it does not do," Gibson testified. The new law does shorten the time to resolve an appeal. The law does not give VA leaders the authority to remove senior executives at will. Any removal must still meet stringent evidentiary standards and provide due process. It does not do away with the appeal process. "Only a criminal conviction for treason, sedition, aiding the enemy or terrorism - as provided in statute - can deprive a federal employee of an earned benefit," Gibson said. We are stuck with them (if that happens).