Wichita Standard

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal has announced that Michael Missal, the former Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will be his guest at President Donald Trump's Joint Address to Congress. Missal, a native of Bristol, Connecticut, was appointed as VA IG in 2015 by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2016. He served under three presidents before being terminated by Trump along with other Inspectors General.

Blumenthal expressed his honor in having Missal join him, stating, "I am honored to have the VA’s former top internal watchdog, Bristol’s own Mike Missal, join me on Tuesday night." He praised Missal's work in uncovering waste and wrongdoing within the VA and highlighted reports released by Missal's team that addressed delays in care and fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars.

Missal responded to Blumenthal's invitation by acknowledging the senator's advocacy for veterans and independent oversight. "I greatly appreciate Senator Blumenthal’s invitation to attend the President’s Joint Address to Congress," said Missal.

As Blumenthal's guest, Missal will also attend a dinner hosted by the Secretary of the Senate before joining the Joint Address. During his tenure as VA IG, Missal led a team tasked with preventing criminal activity and mismanagement within VA programs. His leadership resulted in significant savings and improvements in government efficiency.

Missal directed over 4,000 reports during his time as Inspector General. Notable investigations included a conviction related to veteran murders at a West Virginia facility and multiple reports on flawed electronic health records modernization efforts.