Overview
- The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted 19-0 on Wednesday to subpoena Oracle chairman Larry Ellison and Co‑CEO Mike Sicilia after Oracle declined to appear at a hearing on the VA electronic health record modernization program.
- Lawmakers pressed VA and Oracle over a recent contract modification that raised the Oracle contract ceiling to about $26.9–$27 billion and cited independent lifecycle estimates that place total program costs near $48–50 billion.
- Committee members said they first learned of the ceiling increase from news reports, fueling bipartisan anger over a lack of direct notice and prompting demands for detailed explanations of how the extra costs were negotiated.
- The hearing revisited long‑standing safety and rollout problems that began with 2020 deployments, including thousands of reported incidents such as medication errors, inaccessible records and some deaths, which previously triggered pauses and a multi‑year reset.
- GAO testimony showed 18 recommendations for the program with 14 not fully implemented, VA officials told lawmakers they do not plan to seek more money now, and the subpoenas could shape upcoming budget and oversight decisions that affect future deployments and veteran care.