But according to Boehner’s office, the VA has failed to meet its own goal of completely eliminating the backlog by the end of September, and seems unlikely to get there.

In a Thursday statement, Boehner’s office noted that the VA set a goal in January, 2013, of ending the backlog entirely. “[W]hat’s strange about this — beyond the self-congratulation — is that the VA promised that the backlog would be down to nearly zero by now,” that statement said.

While the VA still has some chance of completing eliminating the backlog in the coming weeks, Boehner’s office noted a report in Military.com that seem to indicate that won’t happen. That report said VA officials saw that goal not as a firm commitment to meet, but as “a way to inspire the department.”

“Wait, what?” Boehner’s office wrote. “So your pledge to end this national health care crisis was just some motivational tactic?”

“That isn’t just moving the goalposts — it’s moving the field, the fans, and the stadium,” it added. “And it’s the kind of bureaucratic doublespeak that our veterans have been enduring for years.”

The statement said the VA’s failure on the backlog undermines its pledge to improve its mental healthcare for veterans.

“Now is that a real data?” the statement asked. “Or is it just meant to ‘inspire the department?'”