A top Department of Veterans Affairs executive touted the agency’s openness and accountability at a Senate hearing Wednesday, but then refused to respond directly to a senator’s request for performance measures and later hurried away from the committee room while ignoring reporters’ questions.

Allison Hickey, undersecretary for benefits at the VA, told the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs that the agency is undergoing a transformation in which accuracy is prized and the long delays veterans face in having their disability claims processed will soon begin to shorten.