Senate Veterans’ Affairs ranking member Richard Blumenthal will host former Veterans Affairs Inspector General Michael Missal as his guest for President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Thursday night, an invitation designed to criticize the administration’s handling of watchdog offices.
Missal led the department’s chief independent oversight efforts from 2016 until earlier this year, when Trump dismissed him and more than a dozen other inspectors general in a purge decried as unlawful by critics. The White House has said it will name replacements for the offices at some point in the future.
“Mike served honorably under three different presidents — of both parties — rooting out waste and wrongdoing on behalf of our nation’s veterans,” Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement. “The work of independent and nonpartisan inspectors general like Mike is invaluable.
“Missal was uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse at VA. Now [Trump advisor] Elon Musk is corrupting the department and burning taxpayer dollars with no check.”
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The president’s speech — which is not a formal State of the Union address but serves the same function — is expected to cover a host of reform and efficiency promises from the first six weeks of Trump’s second term in office.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers typically invite guests to the event to emphasize their issues and priorities. The White House is expected to release a list of its own guests Tuesday ahead of the event.
In a statement, Missal thanked Blumenthal for the invitation. In addition to attending the speech, he’ll also speak at an event with other senators earlier in the day to share the importance of the work done by inspectors general.
“I was privileged to conduct meaningful independent oversight of VA that helped ensure that veterans received the services and benefits that they earned, made VA’s programs and operations more efficient and effective, and held leaders accountable,” Missal said.
As VA’s inspector general, Missal oversaw a staff of more than 1,100 auditors and investigators. Over eight years, his office identified more than $45 billion in potential savings and questionable expenditures within department operations.
Missal and other inspectors general dismissed by Trump have sued for reinstatement. That legal fight is still unresolved.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
