WATCH: Barrett Discusses Bill to Streamline VA Purchases, Protect Veterans and Taxpayers

May 20, 2026 Press Release Committee Considers Barrett Bill to Strengthen Oversight of VA Procurement and Contracting Image Click here or the image above to watch Rep. Barrett’s testimony. Washington, D.C. — During a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing today, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) spoke with veterans and government efficiency advocates about his Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment (ARCA) Act to enhance oversight and streamline the Department of Veterans Affairs’ process for acquiring IT and medical systems, logistics platforms, and large service contracts. This was the second hearing for Barrett’s ARCA Act and a larger package of bills to reauthorize VA programs and improve service for veterans. Barrett discussed his bill and the need for oversight of VA contracting with Britanny Madni, executive vice president of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, and Kristina Keenan, director of the National Legislative Service for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Below are highlights from their conversation. Barrett: “I introduced H.R. 6833, the Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act, known as the ARCA Act, for short, the topic of conversation today, really kind of tackling this issue of chronic bureaucracy and how that can delay implementation and get lost in the weeds of what our actual mission is, which is to deliver care and benefits to veterans who’ve earned that. “But the VA has a really poorly structured acquisition and contacting process, and it really does bog down the progress we’re trying to make. It fails to provide real accountability for underperforming contractors. Some of these contracts get needlessly delayed, and when that happens, the costs go up for taxpayers, and that cuts into the services that ought to be preserved for our veterans. When more is going out the door in one way, it takes less, then, that we are delivering to actual veterans.” Madni: “The only way to fix that is to perform regular oversight and hold the VA accountable, and I think your bill is an excellent first step to that. I would also suggest perhaps having a series of more robust oversight hearings to see their steps and whether or not they’re following through.” Barrett: “I worked in Michigan for the state treasurer, probably 15 or so years ago, and we had this point that I learned, which was separating the difference between outputs and outcomes. You can spend a lot of money on outputs that don’t actually change the outcomes. Especially the work we do on this committee should be focused really heavily on the outcomes for veterans. Instead of looking how much we spend on something specifically, well what was the outcome of that, not just the outputs within it.” Keenan: “I think our main concern [with the acquisition and contracting process] is failures to properly modernize systems effectively, efficiently, and using the funding appropriately. So additional oversight — we’re totally on board with … the efforts to try to rein in and oversee some of these major projects to avoid any kind of delays and waste of taxpayer money. I think that’s the goal with this kind of proposal.” Background: Barrett’s Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment (ARCA) Act ( H.R. 6833 ) , which he introduced in December, would restructure the currently disjointed acquisition and contracting processes under a newly established Office of Acquisition. The bill would also strengthen internal checks to prevent waste and fraud and require congressional reauthorization every two years. The ARCA Act is part of a larger package led by Republicans on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to restore accountability, fix problems at the VA, and deliver efficient benefits and care for veterans. Many essential VA functions, including the contract and procurement process, are currently operating under expired, nonexistent, or lapsed authorization from Congress, but still receiving yearly appropriations. This leads to a lack of the routine congressional oversight that’s needed to address failures in the programs. Specifically, the ARCA Act would create a process at the VA for procurement and contracting under a newly established Office of Acquisition that would: Oversee all major acquisition, contracting, and logistics at the VA; Streamline procurement and contracting processes; and Enhance accountability through independent evaluations and reporting. Click here to read the full bill text.