Committee subpoenas VA over millions in spending on art

WASHINGTON - The House Veterans Affairs Committee is demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs about the money being spent on art and decorations.

The committee issued a subpoena Wednesday requiring the VA to turn over documents indicating the amounts spent since 2010.

We broke the story in July. We were the first to report millions of dollars spent at VA hospitals for high-priced art and decorations. We dug through thousands of VA transaction records and our investigation uncovered more than $5 million labeled as art over a four-year period.
 
Among the items we uncovered were a $21,000, 27-foot artificial Christmas tree.
 
Now, after what we discovered, Congress wants official numbers from the VA.
 
"I have been asking for months and months for this information," said House VA Committee chairman Jeff Miller, R-Florida.
 
A VA spokeswoman said they continue to work on creating a new policy for buying art. She said last week they did give the House committee detailed information on what they spent on art.
 
In a statement the VA said: "While we must be stewards of taxpayer dollars, we also know that providing comprehensive health care for patients goes beyond just offering the most advanced medical treatments."
 
Miller said the data he received is incomplete.

"If I'd have thought they'd given us all the information and been truthful and transparent we wouldn't have gone through the subpoena process. They know they haven't, they're dragging their feet," Miller said.
 
As an example, Miller points to a $250,000 light display at the Palo Alto VA Hospital. It is not on the list of artwork provided to the committee by the VA.

"If they're claiming that it's a light fixture. why in the world are they spending that kind of money for a light fixture?" Miller said.
 
We asked the VA when the new art policy would be released. A spokeswoman said it is "still in process."
 
The VA has until Sept. 28 to respond to the subpoena.