house Bill H.R. 1994
Should It Be Easier For the VA to Fire Corrupt Or Incompetent Employees?
Argument in favor
The VA needs to be able to fire, demote, or otherwise punish employees that perform poorly in their jobs. Why should incompetent federal employees keep their jobs when their private sector counterparts would be fired?
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07/29/2015
For too long we have seen our Men & Women in uniform put in the most extreme circumstances within the VA & other Veteran associated venues...these people have fought, died, lost limbs, etc. When are we as a Nation going to thank them with excellent care? Help them in caring ways as a grateful nation should? Why? Why do we slap them in the face after they have given limbs, mental stability, sleepless nights, etc. for the cause of war? My God, are we really that selfish? Or are we just inhumane? I pray that it's just that we are stupid ignorant creatures... We must show thanks to these Men & Women that cannot be with their families, they have left their children &/or their families to fight and often die...give them the thanks they require, if nothing else than common human decency...
01/14/2016
They shouldn't just be able to fire incompetent employees, we should fire EVERY incompetent government employee.
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07/29/2015
There should be performance reviews and action should be taken when there is poor performance, just as in any other organization!
Argument opposed
All federal agencies should have flexibility should have more flexibility to fire incompetent employees — not just the VA. It's unfair to single out federal workers from one troubled agency rather than reforming the entire bureaucracy.
07/29/2015
This is a scam to chip away at workers' rights, backed by Concerned Veterans of America, a Koch-funded front group bent on privatizing vets' healthcare. It won't fix incompetence or corruption in the VA. Rather, it makes low-level employees at-will employees who can be fired at will by corrupt and incompetent employers, just like in Right-to-Work (for Peanuts) states. There's also a $2.5 billion VA budget shortfall that it doesn't mention, let alone fix.
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07/29/2015
Have the same standards for all Federal employees, including members of Congress, and I will enthusiastically support it.
07/29/2015
Here is what it is REALLY all about: "The Koch Brothers are About to Destroy Veterans' Health Care and No One Knows About It" http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/28/1406562/-The-Koch-Brothers-are-About-to-Destroy-Veterans-Health-Care-and-No-One-Knows-About-It Further down in the article you will see that Takano and Blumenthal have better ideas for doing what needs to be done.
For too long we have seen our Men & Women in uniform put in the most extreme circumstances within the VA & other Veteran associated venues...these people have fought, died, lost limbs, etc. When are we as a Nation going to thank them with excellent care? Help them in caring ways as a grateful nation should? Why? Why do we slap them in the face after they have given limbs, mental stability, sleepless nights, etc. for the cause of war? My God, are we really that selfish? Or are we just inhumane? I pray that it's just that we are stupid ignorant creatures... We must show thanks to these Men & Women that cannot be with their families, they have left their children &/or their families to fight and often die...give them the thanks they require, if nothing else than common human decency...
This is a scam to chip away at workers' rights, backed by Concerned Veterans of America, a Koch-funded front group bent on privatizing vets' healthcare. It won't fix incompetence or corruption in the VA. Rather, it makes low-level employees at-will employees who can be fired at will by corrupt and incompetent employers, just like in Right-to-Work (for Peanuts) states. There's also a $2.5 billion VA budget shortfall that it doesn't mention, let alone fix.
They shouldn't just be able to fire incompetent employees, we should fire EVERY incompetent government employee.
There should be performance reviews and action should be taken when there is poor performance, just as in any other organization!
Have the same standards for all Federal employees, including members of Congress, and I will enthusiastically support it.
YES IT SHOULD. The corruption has gone on for decades. Get rid of the money sucking, derelict employees, no matter what their position.
Here is what it is REALLY all about: "The Koch Brothers are About to Destroy Veterans' Health Care and No One Knows About It" http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/28/1406562/-The-Koch-Brothers-are-About-to-Destroy-Veterans-Health-Care-and-No-One-Knows-About-It Further down in the article you will see that Takano and Blumenthal have better ideas for doing what needs to be done.
Reduce costs and hold them accountable. This should be federal government policy.
This has variables as I have personally experienced this. Fire all those that are incompetent; however, reality is this > when an employee whistleblows against policy, the employee is fired or "laid off" and this is very sad and it has happened and not one state entity has listened or wanted to get involved with whistleblowing. These are laws that need to be revamped on the books!
Of course! The VA has more than adequately demonstrated that it is top heavy with incompetent workers. No private health care provider would ever tolerate so many useless employees. The veterans suffer from the bureaucratic bloat as the incompetents suck off money that shoulder
Is this even to be questioned? What organization in society would be justified in harboring incompetents let alone the corrupt? If the latter characterization applies they should be locked out of their workplace by 4 PM. For the merely incompetent there should be outplacement concurrent with termination.
I don't care about the rights of VA workers. This law should apply to all federal agencies.
Absolutely. To wait months if not years for justifiable termination is ludicrous. Stop the bleeding.
The VA is currently in extremely bad shape. The VA needs to step up its game, any employee who isn't willing to work hard to help these veterans doesn't deserve the job.
There is a procedure in place for terminating employees that applies to all employees. If Congress wants to make changes, while still retaining collective bargaining rights of employees, they should do so. Singling out the VA is a poor policy approach.
Why would we want incompetent and corrupt people working with some of our most vulnerable members of society?