Vet Chief,Congressman Discuss VA Issues

DENVER (AP) -- The chief of the Veterans Affairs Department and the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee will discuss changing the troubled agency during a joint appearance in Denver.

VA Secretary Robert McDonald and Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida will speak at a Disabled American Veterans convention Monday.

Congress is unhappy about how long it has taken the VA to discipline employees over long waits for veterans health care, falsified records to cover up the delays and cost overruns at a hospital under construction outside Denver.

Miller sponsored a bill passed by the House that would make it easier to fire or demote VA workers. It's awaiting Senate action.

The White House has threatened a veto, saying the bill would take important employee rights and treat VA workers differently than others.

(KA)