The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs has voted unanimously to subpoena Oracle co-founder and chair Larry Ellison and Oracle CEO Mike Sicilia over the VA’s EHR modernization contract.
The vote followed Oracle’s withdrawal from a Sept. 2 hearing. Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., invited Oracle to testify, and the company accepted Aug. 26 before pulling out a day later, citing “time constraints,” Ranking Member Mark Takano, D-Calif., said. Mr. Takano said Oracle reiterated its refusal to appear in an Aug. 31 letter.
VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence, PhD, testified that the agency will not seek additional funding for the contract beyond its new $27 billion ceiling, up from $10 billion. “We have spent exactly the money you have allowed us,” Dr. Lawrence said.
“Oracle’s leaders must appear before this committee and answer for this contract,” said Rep. Maxine Dexter, MD, D-Ore. She cited Oracle’s 2022 pledge to Congress to “bear” any cost overruns on the original $10 billion contract and questioned why the company later sought a $17 billion increase.
Becker’s has reached out to Oracle for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
The Government Accountability Office has said the VA had not fully implemented 14 of 18 recommendations on the EHR program as of August, and the subpoenas set up a public hearing where lawmakers can question Oracle’s leaders directly.
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