Accountability Office Report has highlighted, a number of internal management challenges have impeded the federal Effective Services ability to protect facilities. For example, the federal protective service must the bleep the Facility Security assessment in a timely manner with the share them offices it protects. This service has been able to do that and other agencies have sought to complete their own security assessments, creating unnecessary duplication and waste. The federal protective service must also do a better job of tracking and overseeing the training of the 14,000 contract guards that it uses to protect its facilities. Ensure that post is federal Law Enforcement officers and the Armed Security guards it uses are appropriately trained, equipped, and prepared. Training, the equipment, the preparedness of federal lawenforcement officers and Contract Security guards is essential to providing for the security of facilities safeguarded by the federal Addictive Service protective
Attack. In many instances security measures again well before a person approaches the facility. To maintain ae security cleared him and he was trusted as a defense clatter that contractor and granted access to a navy complex. He exploited the stress, and he hurt a lot of it is people. The aftermath, it is only natural that we wonder if all people entering a federal facility, in the that even employees, should be screened in some way . And often usedw phrase from ronald reagan, trust but verify . Manyof the examples of undesirable threats facing our federal the syllabus facilities. In addition to active shooters, agencies must develop countermeasures for blued that improved explosive devices, biological weapons, and other types of results. Examinehearing will federal agencys efforts to develop and maintain effective layers of security at their facilities, and prevent future attacks against innocent people. Facility security is not just about protecting the physical structure of a buildi
And that was what prompted my direction to say we are going to overhaul the standard performance contract for Medical Center direct recent visitor directors because we are not going to have a contract with their result is aligned with the patient outcome. I think is going to take some of those kinds of structural changes as well to ensure we get people focused. The last thing i would say is this. You know, we are so focused on wait times. As we think about how we teach timeliness of that is in the future, the centerpiece of that is a much more robust focus on patient satisfaction. I think that helps us resent her back on the veteran we are serving in notley cannot wait times in the 700 other metrics that weve got people. Those types of responses should be the driving force to whether someone gets a bonus or how they are compensated. Yes. The spec or general reply to us at it is led to more layers of administrative aspect rather than actual care and that really is a concern. I had a mee
Before we began this morning and want to recognize some participants that are in the audience with us from the American Legion boys nation of joined us here today. All will you address to fund the debt of gratitude and stepping up as my Ranking Member has said during the very trying times for the department, and we appreciate you being here. He is accompanied by mr. Denny pommel, direct deputy undersecretary for benefits of the department of veterans affairs. Assistant director undersecretary for health and administrative operations at the department of veterans affairs. As always, your complete written so it statement, mr. Secretary, will be made a part of the hearing record. With that, you are recognized for your Opening Statements. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I will get straight to business. Concerning health care we have serious issues. Here is how i see the problems. First of veterans are waiting to long for care. Second, scheduling and improprieties were widespread, including delibe
Bipartisan twoyear agreement past by the house last week. The measure looks to have enough support from both democrats and had a handful of republicans to clear the 60 boast filibuster threshold. For more on the budget agreement and the current action in the senate we spoke with the capitol hill reporter. Would you tell us what happened today in the senate . Todays going to be on the boat to get the deal supported. Tell us a little but about the republicans that are planning to report it . Seven membersut that are going to support it, and not all have committed to voting on the final passage of the bill. Hes a close ally of john boehner who close this deal in the house, passerby 332 votes. Like it will squeak by. Randing it are those like paul. Center Republican Leaders may also vote against it. Mitch mcconnell, the Senate Minority leader, has not publicly come out and assured john boehner and others. He is expected to vote against it because the deal increases pending in the longterm.