House committee votes to subpoena Oracle over VA’s $27B EHR contract

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted unanimously to subpoena Oracle executives after a contentious hearing on the VA’s $27 billion electronic health record modernization contract, with lawmakers from both parties expressing outrage over the cost increase. The subpoena targets Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and Co-CEO Mike Sicilia following the committee’s 19-0 vote, after members learned of the contract ceiling hike from news reports rather than directly from the company. Lawmakers criticized the $17 billion increase as “unreasonable,” noting Sicilia told Congress in 2022 that Oracle would absorb extra costs beyond its original $10 billion ceiling. The VA raised the contract ceiling to $27 billion and extended it to 2031, citing “unanticipated complexity” and an accelerated deployment schedule. VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence said the department will not request additional funds, though the Government Accountability Office reported 14 of its 18 recommendations remain unimplemented.