Press Releases

Today, the House passed H.R. 4974, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017. H.R. 4974 contained a provision that prohibits funding solar panel projects under the Green Management Program. Congressman French Hill (AR-02) spoke on the House Floor Wednesday night in support of this provision. Last year, Congressman Hill and Senator John Boozman (AR) requested a Department of Veterans Affair Office of Inspector General report (VAOIG) into the failed solar panel construction project at the Little Rock VA Medical Center.

Following passage of H.R. 4974, Congressman Hill released the following statement:

“This appropriations bill will give the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) an increase in the resources it needs to care for our veterans. I am particularly pleased with the funding to move toward a paperless and more efficient processing system for disability claims. Our wounded and injured veterans should not have to wait months and years to receive the compensation they deserve for their service.

“While this bill does contain important provisions to increase congressional oversight over VA dollars—like eliminating bonus pay for poorly-performing VA executives and provisions to prevent cost overruns on construction projects—that oversight will not be as effective as it needs to be until the Senate moves the VA Accountability Act of 2016. Employees who do not act in the best interest of the veteran need to be removed from the system, and I urge the Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to pass this bill through Committee.”

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Committee on Appropriations: What the Bill Does

Rep. French Hill seeking answers on VA Hospital solar panels