The burglary at the home of a Veterans Affairs employee on May 3 that resulted in the theft of computer equipment that contained data on 2.2 million active-duty members of the military, and nearly 27 million veterans and their spouses, reflects major problems in how the VA is managed, said Chet Edwards, the ranking Democrat on the House spending subcommittee that focuses on veterans affairs and quality of life in the military.

"This was not the mistake of just one person," Edwards, of Waco, said. "This was a huge flaw in a system that allowed one person to take that much data home." Edwards is among several lawmakers calling on the independent congressional watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, to investigate.

This is the second recent debacle at the VA. Last year, the agency was taken to task for underestimating how many in the military would return wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan and seek medical treatment at VA facilities.

The flawed calculations resulted in an estimated $2.5 billion shortfall in the agency's budget for 2005 and 2006.

When it comes to this new error, "we don't need a partisan witch hunt at the VA," Edwards said. "We need to collect the facts, determine who is responsible, and hold that person accountable."