{"id":63544,"date":"2018-11-21T19:51:29","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T19:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/21\/confirmation-of-new-va-cio-takes-new-urgency-in-light-of-recent-problems\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:19:07","slug":"confirmation-of-new-va-cio-takes-new-urgency-in-light-of-recent-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/11\/21\/confirmation-of-new-va-cio-takes-new-urgency-in-light-of-recent-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Confirmation of new Veterans Affairs CIO takes new urgency in light of recent GI Bill benefits problems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 A key remaining piece of business for the Senate in the final weeks of the 115th Congress will be confirming a new head of technology issues<\/a> for Veterans Affairs, a post that has come under greater scrutiny with the ongoing problems processing GI Bill benefits<\/a> this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vote on the nomination of James Paul Gfrerer<\/a>, picked to be the next chief information officer for the department, could come as early as next week, when the Senate returns from Thanksgiving break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His appointment process has been non-controversial thus far, but became more urgent in recent weeks as lawmakers began questioning problems with VA information systems that have contributed to delays in payouts of thousands of GI Bill stipends this semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in a mess here because [VA\u2019s] IT doesn\u2019t work,\u201d said Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., at a House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing earlier this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He blamed the \u201cdebacle\u201d in part on questions surrounding the information technology office\u2019s management.<\/p>\n\n\n\t