Wasserman Schultz Confronts VA Secretary on Illegal Fund Transfers

VA's Reprogramming of Funds

• 📌 Rep. Wasserman Schultz asserts that the VA Secretary has failed to follow the law by sending notifications instead of reprogramming requests for moving funds.
• 💡 The law requires the VA to seek Congress's approval for fund transfers, not merely notify them.
• ⚠️ Wasserman Schultz emphasizes that a two-page notification with one briefing provides insufficient information on how funds will be used.

Legal Requirements and Congressional Agreement

• 📜 Wasserman Schultz cites specific sections of the appropriations act (227, 229, 230, 231) that detail transfer and reprogramming requirements.
• 🤝 Rep. John Carter, the committee chair, agrees with Wasserman Schultz, stating that the established procedure for 20 years has been to require reprogramming requests.
• 🗣️ Carter explicitly states, "We're not going to change it now," reinforcing the need to adhere to the law.

VA Secretary's Response and Justification

• 🗓️ VA Secretary Doug Collins claims the VA sent a notification on April 24th, following OMB guidance.
• ❓ Collins states that administrations have historically provided notice rather than seeking explicit approval for such transfers.
• 🚧 Wasserman Schultz pushes back, calling the current approach