Kansas senator proposes bill that would make it harder to fire VA employees

By Jack Harvel, Topeka Capital-Journal

6 days ago

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said he'll introduce a bill to constrain staffing cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs just a week after a memo reported it plans to lay off 83,000 employees.

Moran's bill would require any downsizing efforts to go through the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, which he chairs. A spokesperson said the bill is expected to be introduced later this month.

"I am working on legislation that would require the workforce planning to follow that model because Congress must play a significant role in strategically shaping VA workforce decisions to achieve the right outcomes for veterans and their families," Moran said at the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee meeting on Tuesday.

Moran conceded that the VA needs reforms and that the status quo at the VA isn't working. But he still felt that downsizing must be done with care and oversight of his committee.

"However changes that affect VA policy and personnel must be thoughtful, transparent and carried out in close coordination with this committee, with our colleagues and stakeholders including veterans and the (veterans service organizations) who represent them here in Washington, D.C.," Moran said.

Moran said he's relayed the message to VA Secretary Doug Collins, and that Collins will testify to the committee about his plans to eliminate waste in the department.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee vice chair, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced a bill in response to recent layoffs. His bill would reinstate with backpay all military veterans, military spouses, survivors, veteran caregivers and members of the Guard or Reserves — and includes all VA employees terminated thus far.

It would also add protections for veterans employed by the federal government in future mass terminations.

So far the Trump administration has laid off more than 30,000 federal employees, and another 75,000 accepted an offer for deferred resignation, where they agree to resign in exchange for a couple months of pay. House Democrats estimated about 6,000 staff members fired so far are veterans, but the actual number is uncertain.

The firings had a limited impact on Veterans Health Administration employees in Topeka and Leavenworth, but it's unclear how many employees from other subbranches of the VA have fared locally.

More layoffs are on the way, as agencies prepare to reduce their workforces under the instruction of the Office of Personnel Management.

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas senator proposes bill that would make it harder to fire VA employees

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