[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 47 (Friday, March 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2155-H2167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN
PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Harper). Pursuant to House Resolution
198 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of
the Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration
of the bill, H.R. 1367.
Will the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) kindly take the chair.
{time} 0915
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration of
the bill (H.R. 1367) to improve the authority of the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to hire
[[Page H2156]]
and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and for other purposes, with Mr. Simpson (Acting Chair) in the
chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The Acting CHAIR. When the Committee of the Whole House rose on
Thursday, March 16, 2017, all time for general debate had expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule.
It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose
of amendment under the 5-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a
substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 115-6. That
amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read.
The text of the amendment in the nature of a substitute is as
follows:
H.R. 1367
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Table of contents.
Sec. 2. Modification to annual determination of staffing shortages in
Veterans Health Administration.
Sec. 3. Executive management fellowship program.
Sec. 4. Accountability of leaders for managing the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 5. Modification to veterans preference.
Sec. 6. Reemployment of former employees.
Sec. 7. Recruiting database.
Sec. 8. Human resources academy.
Sec. 9. Promotional opportunities for technical experts.
Sec. 10. Comptroller General study on succession planning.
Sec. 11. Information on hiring effectiveness.
Sec. 12. Employment of students and recent graduates.
Sec. 13. Exit surveys.
SEC. 2. MODIFICATION TO ANNUAL DETERMINATION OF STAFFING
SHORTAGES IN VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
Section 7412(a) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking ``the five occupations'' and inserting
``the five clinical occupations and the five nonclinical
occupations''; and
(2) by striking ``throughout the Department'' and inserting
``with respect to each medical center of the Department,''.
SEC. 3. EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Fellowship Program.--Chapter 7 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new subchapter:
``SUBCHAPTER III--EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
``Sec. 741. Executive Management Fellowship Program
``(a) Fellowship Program.--There is in the Department an
Executive Management Fellowship Program. The purpose of the
program shall be to provide--
``(1) eligible employees of the Veterans Benefits
Administration and the Veterans Health Administration with
training and experience in the private sector; and
``(2) eligible employees of a private-sector entity with
training and experience in the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
``(b) Fellowship.--(1) A fellowship provided under this
section is a one-year fellowship during which--
``(A) with respect to a Department participant, the
participant receives training and experience at a private-
sector entity that is engaged in the administration and
delivery of health care or other services similar to the
benefits administered by the Secretary; and
``(B) with respect to a private-sector participant, the
participant receives training and experience at the Veterans
Benefits Administration or the Veterans Health
Administration.
``(2) The Secretary shall enter into such agreements with
private-sector entities as are necessary to carry out this
section.
``(c) Selection of Recipients.--(1) In August of each year,
the Secretary shall select--
``(A) not fewer than 18 and not more than 30 eligible
employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration and the
Veterans Health Administration to receive a fellowship under
this section; and
``(B) not fewer than 18 and not more than 30 eligible
employees of private-sector entities to receive a fellowship
under this section.
``(2) To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall select
eligible employees under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
paragraph (1) from among eligible employees who are veterans
in a manner that is reflective of the demographics of the
veteran population of the United States.
``(d) Eligible Employees.--For the purposes of this
section, an eligible employee is--
``(1) with respect to an employee of the Veterans Benefits
Administration or the Veterans Health Administration, an
employee who--
``(A) is compensated at a rate of basic pay not less than
the minimum rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-14 of the
General Schedule and not more than either the minimum rate of
basic pay payable to a member of the Senior Executive Service
under section 5382 of title 5, United States Code, or the
minimum rate of basic pay payable pursuant to chapter 74 of
this title, as the case may be;
``(B) enters into an agreement with the Secretary under
subsection (e); and
``(C) submits to the Secretary an application containing
such information and assurances as the Secretary may require;
and
``(2) with respect to an employee of a private-sector
entity, an employee who--
``(A) is employed in a position whose duties and
responsibilities are commensurate with an employee of the
Department described in paragraph (1);
``(B) enters into an agreement with the Secretary under
subsection (e); and
``(C) submits to the Secretary an application containing
such information and assurances as the Secretary may require.
``(e) Agreements.--(1) An agreement between the Secretary
and a Department participant shall be in writing, shall be
signed by the participant, and shall include the following
provisions:
``(A) The Secretary's agreement to provide the participant
with a fellowship under this section;
``(B) The participant's agreement--
``(i) to accept the fellowship;
``(ii) after completion of the fellowship, to serve as a
full-time employee in the Veterans Benefits Administration or
the Veterans Health Administration for at least two years as
specified in the agreement; and
``(iii) that, during the two-year period beginning on the
last day of the fellowship, the participant will not accept
employment in the same industry as the industry of the
private-sector entity at which the participant accepts the
fellowship.
``(C) A provision that any financial obligation of the
United States arising out of an agreement entered into under
this subchapter, and any obligation of the participant which
is conditioned on such agreement, is contingent upon funds
being appropriated.
``(D) A statement of the damages to which the United States
is entitled under this subchapter for the participant's
breach of the agreement.
``(E) Such other terms as the Secretary determines are
required to be included in the agreement.
``(2) An agreement between the Secretary and a private-
sector participant shall be in writing, shall be signed by
the participant, and shall include the following provisions:
``(A) The Secretary's agreement to provide the participant
with a fellowship under this section.
``(B) The participant's agreement to accept the fellowship.
``(C) Such other terms as the Secretary determines are
required to be included in the agreement.
``(f) Treatment of Recipients.--(1) A Department
participant shall be considered an employee of the Department
for all purposes, including for purposes of receiving a
salary and benefits, and shall remain eligible for all
promotion and incentive programs otherwise available to such
an employee.
``(2) A private-sector participant shall be considered an
employee of the private-sector entity that employs the
participant for all purposes, including for purposes of
receiving a salary and benefits, and during the fellowship
shall be treated as a contractor of the Department.
``(g) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after completing a
fellowship under this section, a recipient of the fellowship
shall submit to the Secretary a report on the fellowship.
Each such report shall describe the duties of the recipient
during the fellowship and any recommendations of the
recipient for the application by the Secretary of industry
processes, technologies, and best practices. Not later than
seven days after receiving each such report, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives such report without
change.
``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `Department participant' means an employee
of the Veterans Benefits Administration or the Veterans
Health Administration who is participating in the fellowship
under this section.
``(2) The term `private-sector entity' includes an entity
operating under a public-private partnership.
``(3) The term `private-sector participant' means an
employee of a private-sector entity who is participating in
the fellowship under this section.''.
(b) Deadline for Implementation.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall implement the Executive Management
Fellowship Program required under section 741 of title 38,
United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new items:
``subchapter iii--executive management fellowship program
``741. Executive Management Fellowship Program.''.
[[Page H2157]]
SEC. 4. ACCOUNTABILITY OF LEADERS FOR MANAGING THE DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code,
is amended by inserting after section 717 the following new
section:
``Sec. 719. Annual performance plan for political appointees
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct an annual
performance plan for each political appointee of the
Department that is similar to the annual performance plan
conducted for an employee of the Department who is appointed
as a career appointee (as that term is defined in section
3132(a)(4) of title 5) within the Senior Executive Service at
the Department.
``(b) Elements of Plan.--Each annual performance plan
conducted under subsection (a) with respect to a political
appointee of the Department shall include an assessment of
whether the appointee is meeting the following goals:
``(1) Recruiting, selecting, and retaining well-qualified
individuals for employment at the Department.
``(2) Engaging and motivating employees.
``(3) Training and developing employees and preparing those
employees for future leadership roles within the Department.
``(4) Holding each employee of the Department that is a
manager accountable for addressing issues relating to
performance, in particular issues relating to the performance
of employees that report to the manager.
``(c) Definition of Political Appointee.--In this section,
the term `political appointee' means an employee of the
Department who holds--
``(1) a position which has been excepted from the
competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-
determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character;
or
``(2) a position in the Senior Executive Service as a
noncareer appointee (as such term is defined in section
3132(a) of title 5).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 7 of such title is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 717 the following new
item:
``719. Annual performance plan for political appointees.''.
SEC. 5. MODIFICATION TO VETERANS PREFERENCE.
(a) Active Duty Requirement.--Section 2108(1)(B) and (D) of
title 5, United States Code, are amended by striking
``consecutive'' in each instance it appears and inserting
``cumulative''.
(b) Expansion of Eligibility of Retired Veterans.--Section
2108(4) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``(4) `preference eligible' includes a retired member of
the armed forces; and''.
SEC. 6. REEMPLOYMENT OF FORMER EMPLOYEES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
noncompetitively appoint a qualified former employee to any
position within the competitive service or any excepted
service position under chapter 74 of title 38, United States
Code, at the Department of Veterans Affairs that is one grade
higher than the grade of the position at the Department most
recently occupied by the employee.
(b) Limitation.--The Secretary may not appoint a qualified
former employee to a position that is more than one grade (or
equivalent) higher than the position at the Department most
recently occupied by the employee.
(c) Definition of Qualified Former Employee.--For purposes
of this section, the term ``qualified former employee'' means
any individual who--
(1) formerly occupied any position at the Department of
Veterans Affairs within two years before applying for
reemployment at the Department;
(2) voluntarily left such position, or was subject to a
reduction in force, and had a satisfactory performance record
while occupying such position; and
(3) since leaving such position has maintained licensing
requirements, related to the position, if any, and gained
skill, knowledge, or other factors related to the position.
SEC. 7. RECRUITING DATABASE.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a single database that lists each vacant position
in the Department of Veterans Affairs that the Secretary
determines is critical to the mission of the Department,
difficult to fill, or both.
(b) Qualified Applicant.--If the Secretary determines that
an applicant for a vacant position listed in the database
established under subsection (a) is qualified for such
position but does not select the applicant for such position,
the Secretary, at the election of the applicant, shall
consider the applicant for other similar vacant positions
listed in the database for which the applicant is qualified.
(c) Prolonged Vacancies.--If the Secretary does not fill a
vacant position listed in the database established under
subsection (a) after a period determined appropriate by the
Secretary, the Secretary--
(1) shall ensure that applicants described in subsection
(b) are considered for such position; and
(2) shall use the database established under subsection (a)
to assist in filling such position.
(d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report on the use and efficacy of the database established
under subsection (a).
SEC. 8. HUMAN RESOURCES ACADEMY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
provide to human resources professionals of the Veterans
Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs
training on how to best recruit and retain employees of the
Veterans Health Administration, including with respect to any
recruitment and retention matters that are unique to the
Veterans Health Administration pursuant to chapter 74 of
title 38, United States Code, or other provisions of law. The
Secretary shall provide such training in a manner that the
Secretary determines appropriate in light of budget, travel,
and other constraints.
(b) Amount of Training.--The Secretary shall ensure that
each human resources professional of the Veterans Health
Administration receives the training described in subsection
(a)--
(1) as soon as practicable after being hired by the
Secretary as a human resource professional; and
(2) annually thereafter.
(c) Certification.--The Secretary shall require that each
human resources professional of the Veterans Health
Administration, upon the completion of the training described
in subsection (a), certifies that the professional received
the training and understands the information provided by the
training.
(d) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate an annual report on the
training described in subsection (a), including the cost of
providing such training and the number of human resources
professionals who received such training during the year
covered by the report.
SEC. 9. PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNICAL EXPERTS.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a
promotional track system for employees of the Department of
Veterans Affairs that the Secretary determines are technical
experts pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary
for purposes of carrying out this section. Such system
shall--
(1) provide any such employee the opportunity to advance
within the Department without being required to transition to
a management position; and
(2) for purposes of achieving career advancement--
(A) provide for the establishment of new positions within
the Department; and
(B) notwithstanding any other provision of law, provide for
increases in pay for any such employee.
SEC. 10. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON SUCCESSION PLANNING.
(a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States
shall conduct a study on each of the following:
(1) The succession planning at each medical facility of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) The succession planning at the Veterans Benefits
Administration and the National Cemetery Administration of
the Department.
(b) Elements.--The study under subsection (a) shall
include, for each entity studied under the study, the
following:
(1) A determination of the mission-critical positions
within the entity and the vacancy risk of such positions.
(2) An analysis of the future needs for mission-critical
positions and gaps within the existing talent pool of the
entity.
(3) A description of strategies to close skill gaps through
the use of training for existing staff, targeted recruitment,
and hiring.
(4) A plan to regularly evaluate progress of staff and
update existing succession plans using clear and measurable
metrics and benchmarks.
(5) A demonstration of the capacity of the entity to
execute succession plans with successful succession
management strategies.
(6) Any other matters the Comptroller General determines
appropriate.
(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate a report containing each study
conducted under subsection (a).
SEC. 11. INFORMATION ON HIRING EFFECTIVENESS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
measure and collect information on indicators of hiring
effectiveness as follows:
(1) With respect to recruiting and hiring--
(A) the ability to reach and recruit well-qualified talent
from diverse talent pools, including sources of candidates
for mission-critical occupations;
(B) the use and impact of special hiring authorities and
flexibilities to recruit most qualified applicants, including
the use of student internships as a talent pool for permanent
hires;
(C) the use and impact of special hiring authorities and
flexibilities to recruit diverse candidates, including
veteran, minority and disabled candidates;
(D) the use and impact of special hiring authorities and
flexibilities to recruit candidates for mission-critical
occupations and occupations with shortages;
(E) the age, educational level, and source of applicants;
[[Page H2158]]
(F) the length of time between the date on which a position
is advertised and the date on which a first offer of
employment is made;
(G) the length of time between the date on which a first
offer of employment for a position is made and the date on
which a new hire starts in that position;
(H) the number of internal and external applicants for
positions; and
(I) the number of offers accepted compared to the number of
offers made for permanent positions.
(2) With respect to the hiring authority--
(A) the satisfaction of the hiring authority with--
(i) the quality of new hires;
(ii) the match between the skills of newly hired
individuals and the needs of the Department;
(iii) the hiring process and hiring outcomes after the
first year of the employment of a new hire; and
(iv) the length of time that elapses to fill a position and
for a new hire to begin working in a new position; and
(B) mission-critical deficiencies filled by new hires and
the connection between mission-critical deficiencies and
annual agency performance.
(3) Satisfaction of employment applicants with the hiring
process, including with respect to the clarity of job
announcement, reasons for withdrawal of applications, user-
friendliness of the application process, communication
regarding status of application, and timeliness of hiring
decision.
(4) With respect to a newly hired employee--
(A) the satisfaction of the employee with the hiring
process as described in paragraph (3);
(B) the satisfaction with the process of joining and
becoming oriented with the Department, including with respect
to the timeliness of such process after the hiring decision,
the orientation process, and being provided with timely and
useful new employee information and assistance after the hire
is made but before the new hire starts in that position and
after the new hire has begun;
(C) attrition and reasons for leaving;
(D) investment in training and development for the employee
during the first year of employment; and
(E) significant barriers to the effective recruitment,
selection, joining and becoming oriented with the Department,
and retention of employees.
(b) Disaggregation of Data.--To the extent practicable and
in a manner which protects personally identifiable
information of applicants and employees, the Secretary shall
collect and report data collected under subsection (a)
disaggregated by facility or Veterans Integrated Service
Network.
(c) Reports.--
(1) In general.--On an annual basis, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate a report of the information
collected under subsection (a).
(2) Availability of recruiting and hiring information.--On
an annual basis, the Secretary shall make publicly available
the information collected under subsection (a) in a
consistent and machine-readable format to allow for a
comparison of hiring effectiveness and experience by Veterans
Integrated Service Network or comparable public or private
sector organization.
SEC. 12. EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service
appointments of students and recent graduates leading to
conversion to career or career conditional employment of a
student or recent graduate of a qualifying educational
institution, as defined by the Department.
(b) Applicability.--The conversion authority described in
subsection (a) shall be applicable to individuals in good
standing who--
(1) are employed in a qualifying internship or fellowship
program at the Department;
(2) are employed in the Department in a volunteer capacity
and performing substantive duties comparable to those of
individuals in internship or fellowship programs and meet the
required number of hours for conversion; or
(3) are employed in the Department under a contract or
agreement with an external nonprofit organization and
performing substantive duties comparable to those of
individuals in internship or fellowship programs.
(c) Uniformity.--For the purposes of subsections (b)(2) and
(b)(3), hours of work performed by an individual employed
shall be considered equal to those performed by an individual
employed in a qualifying internship or fellowship program by
the Department.
SEC. 13. EXIT SURVEYS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
develop and carry out a standardized exit survey to be
voluntarily completed by career and noncareer employees and
executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs who
voluntarily separate from the Department. Such exit survey
shall be developed in consultation with an appropriate non-
Department entity with experience developing such surveys.
(b) Survey Content.--The survey shall include, at a
minimum--
(1) reasons for leaving the Department;
(2) efforts made by the supervisor of the employee to
retain the individual;
(3) the extent of job satisfaction and engagement during
the employment;
(4) the intent of employee to either remain employed within
the Federal Government or to leave employment with the
Federal Government; and
(5) such other matters as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c) Anonymity of Survey Content.--The Secretary shall
ensure that, to the extent possible, data collected under
subsection (a) is anonymized and personally identifiable
information is removed.
(d) Sharing of Survey Data.--The Secretary shall ensure
that the results of the survey required by subsection (a) are
shared on an annual basis with directors and managers of
facilities of the Department and the Veterans Integrated
Service Networks.
(e) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing
the aggregate results of the exit survey under subsection (a)
covering the year prior to the report. The report shall
include--
(1) an analysis of the most common reasons employees choose
to leave the Department;
(2) steps the Secretary is taking to improve retention,
particularly for mission-critical occupations;
(3) the demographic characteristics of employees choosing
to leave the Department;
(4) any legislative barriers to improving employee
retention; and
(5) the number of employees who took the exit survey under
subsection (a).
The Acting CHAIR. No amendment to that amendment in the nature of a
substitute shall be in order except those printed in part B of House
Report 115-39. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order
printed in the report, by a Member designated in the report, shall be
considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the
report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent,
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand
for division of the question.
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Wenstrup
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 8, line 8, strike ``90 days'' and insert ``one year''.
Page 12, line 12, strike ``shall'' and insert ``may''.
Page 12, line 19, strike ``shall'' and insert ``may''.
Page 12, line 21, strike ``shall'' and insert ``may''.
Page 13, strike lines 11 through 13 and insert ``such
training virtually.''.
Page 16, line 9, strike ``one year'' and insert ``two
years''.
Page 16, beginning line 14, strike section 11.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, my manager's amendment makes a number of
minor technical changes to the reported version of the bill and would
significantly reduce discretionary costs while maintaining the overall
intent of the bill.
The biggest change that would be made in the manager's amendment is
the removal of section 11 of the bill, which would require the
Department of Veterans Affairs to track a number of hiring
effectiveness metrics.
That section alone scored at $6 million because the Congressional
Budget Office expected that the VA would have to hire an additional
employee in each Veterans Integrated Service Network in order to gather
that information. I disagree with that assertion and I intend to
continue working on that provision to, hopefully, include it in future
legislation in some form.
In addition, the manager's amendment would authorize but not require
the VA to track and match qualified job applicants for vacant positions
using the recruiting database that the bill would establish. The CBO
estimated that the VA would have to hire up to 40 additional employees
with an average compensation of $100,000 per year to accomplish that
task, meaning that provision in total would cost $19 million. Again, I
disagree with the assertion that such a task could not be accomplished
using existing staff.
The Subcommittee on Health, which I am proud to chair, is holding an
oversight hearing next week where I intend
[[Page H2159]]
to ask the VA how the Department would utilize the recruiting database
and whether it would entail additional employees. Should it appear that
the VA would not use the recruiting database to identify qualified
candidates for open positions in a timely manner and to promptly fill
prolonged vacancies, I will certainly reconsider mandating that in
future legislation.
The manager's amendment would also stipulate that the additional
human resources training that the bill would require be done virtually.
Finally, it would extend the timeline to implement the executive
management fellowship program from 90 days to 1 year, which would
provide the VA additional time to set up this important new leadership
development program and would extend the GAO reporting deadline from 1
to 2 years, which would provide the GAO additional time to complete
their investigation into the VA succession planning.
Mr. Chair, I urge the adoption of the amendment, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am
not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Minnesota is
recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chairman, as mentioned last night during general debate
on the underlying bill, the VA has experienced a shortage of medical
providers. This shortage impacts not only a veteran's access to care,
but also the quality of care a veteran may receive.
Dr. Wenstrup's amendment is smart. It would allow the VA more
authority, information, and resources, all of which they need to
compete with non-VA facilities. The honorable Member from Ohio has
worked hard to ensure that what we are proposing with this legislation
is reasonable from all sides. I am grateful for that. I do not object
to the various changes he is proposing with this amendment to the
timeline, to the GAO reporting deadline, and to the establishment of a
recruiting database from a ``shall'' to a ``may'' authority. This is
exactly what we should be doing, putting forward good pieces of
legislation, making sure that the VA gets the best possible people,
keeps them there, and care for our veterans. I fully support the
gentleman's amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 2 Offered by Ms. Meng
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. MENG. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 2, line 2, strike ``the five clinical'' and insert
``at a minimum, the five clinical''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from New York (Ms. Meng) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
Ms. MENG. Mr. Chair, I thank Representative Wenstrup for his
thoughtful amendment, and I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz
for bringing it to the floor today.
Clearly, there are staffing shortages within the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and, clearly, something must be done. Personally, I
think this legislation is a good first step toward improving the VA's
ability to identify staffing shortages, recruit and retain high-quality
employees, and onboard new hires.
The amendment I am offering today speaks to the identification of
staffing shortages portion of this bill. Under current law, 38 U.S.C.
7412 to be exact, the inspector general of the VA is required to submit
a report to the VA Secretary annually highlighting the five personnel
occupations with the largest staffing shortages throughout the
Department. After receiving this report, the Secretary is then
permitted to recruit and directly appoint qualified individuals to fill
those vacancies.
Section 2 of the bill before us does something important to current
law. It will require the IG to report on not just the five occupations
with the largest staffing shortages, it will require the IG to report
on the five clinical and five nonclinical occupations with the largest
shortages in the VA. Additionally, it will require this reporting to be
done for each medical center. Mr. Chair, I think this is a wonderful
change, one that is sorely needed.
What my amendment would do is add to this expanded reporting
requirement a simple clarification: the IG must report on, at minimum,
the five clinical and nonclinical occupations with the largest staffing
shortages at each facility. It would allow the IG to report on more
than the five occupations with the largest shortages, should his
findings require it.
This amendment is not an additional reporting requirement. It simply
makes clear that should the IG find additional staffing shortages, he
may highlight those so that the Secretary may fill them more quickly.
It is a simple attempt to avoid the necessity of passing similar
legislation 2, 3, or even 4 years from now.
Our veterans need the care that they have earned and that they
deserve. They need it now. The first step in that endeavor is making
sure that the VA staffing levels are adequate.
Again, Mr. Chair, I am pleased to see this amendment on the floor
today and to do my small part in ensuring that veterans get the care
they need. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, which would
allow the VA inspector general to highlight additional staffing
shortages within the Department.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr, Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Representative Meng's amendment,
which would stipulate that the annual determination of Veterans Health
Administration staffing shortages must include at least five clinical
occupations and five nonclinical occupations within each VA medical
center.
This amendment rightfully recognizes that some VA medical centers may
have staffing challenges that extend beyond just 10 occupations and
provides sufficient flexibility for this reporting requirement--which
triggers the VA's direct hiring authority--to accommodate that by
reporting more than five clinical and five nonclinical occupations, as
needed.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.
I thank Representative Meng for submitting it.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MENG. Mr. Chairman, I urge support for this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Sewell of Alabama
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 4, line 2, before the period insert the following:
``and that whenever practicable provides a preference to such
employees who represent or service rural areas''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from Alabama (Ms. Sewell) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Alabama.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Chair, today I rise in support of
bipartisan work to enhance recruitment and retainment strategies at VA
medical centers. While we focus on strengthening the VA workforce, we
must also
[[Page H2160]]
focus on making sure the geographic diversity of our VA workforce is
reflective of the veteran patient population and that rural populations
are adequately represented.
I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for working with me on
this critically important amendment and for their dedication to our
Nation's veterans.
My amendment is simple. It allows the Secretary to select eligible
employees for the fellowship program who represent or service rural
communities in order to alleviate the systemic burdens of rural
healthcare workforce shortages for our Nation's veterans. In order to
best serve our Nation's heroes from rural America, we must invest in
training VA workers who understand the unique needs of rural America.
This amendment would help ensure that veterans who are serviced by
rural VAs have access to the most cutting-edge healthcare industry
procedures and practices. My amendment also helps address an issue that
is indicative of a larger systemic issue in rural America where
healthcare workforce recruitment is a barrier to improved population
health. Workforce shortages, especially in health care, permeate every
aspect of rural life, aggregating already long driving distances and
minimal access to care.
There is significant evidence that increased recruitment and
retention of professionals to underserved areas can exist if we recruit
people from rural areas to come into our healthcare profession. To help
address concerns of veterans' access to care, Congress established the
Office of Rural Health within the VA in 2007. This office has done
outstanding work over the years to recruit, train, and retain rural
healthcare professionals. Everything we do in Congress in relation to
the VA workforce must complement that work.
Approximately 25 percent of our Nation's veterans live in rural
communities and comprise nearly 11 percent of the adult rural
population. Rural veterans account for 36 percent of all VA enrollees.
43 percent of rural veterans earn an annual income of less than
$26,000, and more than 40 percent do not have access to broadband
internet. This limits the accessibility of our rural veterans to online
healthcare services.
According to the Census, the rates of uninsurance, disability,
poverty, and unemployment among veterans all increase as the levels of
rurality increases. Four in ten have at least one service-connected
disability. The Seventh Congressional District of Alabama is home to
more than 36,000 veterans and over 5,000 VA employees at eight
facilities. I visited with the VA staff at several of these facilities,
and I am always impressed with the work that they do every day on
behalf of our Nation's veterans. With all of the negativity surrounding
our VA employees over the past several years, I want to take this
opportunity to commend those public servants who rise every morning to
help our veterans lead productive and healthy lives.
I hope my colleagues, both urban and rural, will work with me to
ensure that rural veterans thrive in their communities and rural
Americans are included in this outstanding VA workforce recruitment
bill. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in
opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Representative Sewell's
amendment, which would authorize the Secretary in selecting employees
to participate in the executive management fellowship program
established by section 3 of the bill, to provide a preference for
employees in rural areas.
{time} 0930
According to VA's Office of Rural Health, there are currently 3
million veterans living in rural communities across the country who
rely on the VA healthcare system for their care.
It is critical that VA medical facilities in rural areas are given
access to leadership development opportunities like the executive
management fellowship program so that rural veterans benefit from them.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment,
and I thank Representative Sewell for submitting it.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman
for supporting this amendment, and I urge all of my colleagues to
support it as well.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 4 Offered by Ms. Hanabusa
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Strike section 6.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Hawaii.
Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak on my amendment to strike
Section 6, Reemployment of Former Employees.
Mr. Chairman, I understand the value of rehiring competent and
capable former employees who left and want to return to serve our
veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, the current
text would allow the Secretary to rehire a former employee without the
former employee going through any competitive process. And the current
text allows the Secretary to hire them at a grade higher than when they
were previously in the department.
So, I asked my colleagues, what about the hardworking, competent
employees who chose not to leave the Department of Veterans Affairs and
who dedicated their lives to serving veterans? Is it fair to them for
former employees to reenter civil service without going through the
competitive selection process and be rewarded with an automatic pay
grade increase?
My amendment supports the retention of a Federal hiring process that
is fair and time-tested.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to Representative
Hanabusa's amendment, which would strike section 6 of the bill.
Section 6 would allow the VA to noncompetitively reappoint a former
VA employee to a position not more than one grade higher than their
former position, as long as the employee left voluntarily within the
prior 2 years, had a satisfactory performance record, and maintained
necessary licensures and credentials.
The former employees who would be helped by this section had
performed admirably, left voluntarily, and gone on to gain relevant
education or experience that the VA needs. They should be encouraged to
come back to the VA and put their new skills to work for our veterans,
not required to go through a lengthy competitive selection process at
the VA for the second time.
Striking this provision would deprive the VA of an authority that
could be used to address access and other challenges by recruiting
high-performing former employees back to VA employment.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa).
The amendment was rejected.
[[Page H2161]]
Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Buck
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 5
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Mr. BUCK. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 11, line 2, strike ``The Secretary'' and insert
``Notwithstanding sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5,
United States Code, the Secretary''.
Page 11, line 3, insert ``career or career conditional''
after ``former''.
Page 11, beginning on line 4, strike ``or any excepted
service position under chapter 74 of title 38, United States
Code,''.
Page 11, line 7, insert ``or equivalent'' after ``grade''
both places it appears.
Page 11, line 16, insert ``career or career conditional''
before ``position''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentleman
from Colorado (Mr. Buck) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
Mr. BUCK. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to
H.R. 1367.
First, I thank Chairman Roe and Representative Wenstrup for bringing
this bill before us today and for consideration of my amendment.
As Americans, as Members of Congress, our job is to serve and care
for our veterans once they return home. That is what H.R. 1367 does.
My amendment strengthens this important bill, guaranteeing that the
Department of Veterans Affairs can employ the best people to care for
our veterans.
My amendment makes clear that former political appointees at the VA
are not eligible for direct hire authority for competitively selected
positions without first going through the proper civil service hiring
process.
America's veterans deserve the top care from people who are devoted
to serving them. The VA is run by hardworking civil servants, men and
women hired in a competitive, merit-based process that assessed their
skill and their passion for serving our Nation's veterans.
Political appointees, on the other hand, are meant to serve their
appointing President's agenda for a temporary period of time. Part of
their duty to the Nation is to know when it is time to step down from
their position of power.
My amendment prevents former VA political appointees from using their
political connections to jump ahead of other qualified individuals,
burrowing into a high-paying career position at the VA.
Along with my friend and colleague Representative Lieu, I have
already introduced a bill to address the problem of political
burrowing.
H.R. 1132 would prevent political appointees from burrowing into the
civil service across the government for 2 years after leaving their
political position. Until that bill is enacted, this amendment will
ensure that the most qualified workers are filling the crucial jobs at
the VA, providing our veterans the treatment they deserve.
We must protect the independence of our merit-based civil service, we
must employ the best people in the VA, and we must guard our veterans
from the failed policies and practices of administrations past.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on my amendment, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, even though I
am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Minnesota is
recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chairman, we must enable the VA to recruit and retain
the most capable people to serve our Nation's veterans.
We also know that one size does not fit all when considering an
applicant's background and experience. If an individual has gained
valuable experience over many years at an agency, we don't want to
eliminate them as an option. Federal hiring officials need the most
complete list of options available to select the most highly qualified
employees.
I do not object to requiring former political appointees at the VA go
through the proper selection process when they apply for nonpolitical,
competitively selected positions.
I truly appreciate the spirit and intent of the gentleman from
Colorado's amendment. I support it, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. BUCK. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Wenstrup), my friend and colleague.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Representative
Buck's amendment, which would prevent former VA political appointees
from receiving nonpolitical, competitively selected positions pursuant
to section 6 of the bill without going through the proper competitive
selection process.
This amendment would prevent political appointees from
inappropriately burrowing in across VA, and I am in full support of it.
I thank Representative Buck for submitting this amendment, and I urge
all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
Mr. BUCK. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Buck).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 6 Offered by Ms. Shea-Porter
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 6
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to
H.R. 1367.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 12, strike lines 2 through 6 and insert the following:
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a single database that lists--
(1) each vacant position in the Department of Veterans
Affairs that the Secretary determines is critical to the
mission of the Department, difficult to fill, or both; and
(2) each vacant position in the Department of Veterans
Affairs for a mental health professional.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter) and a Member opposed each will
control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New Hampshire.
Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, under this legislation, the VA would
create a database to help match qualified job applicants to critical
open positions in order to more quickly fill those vacancies.
My amendment is simple. It requires the VA to include mental health
positions in that database, allowing it to better serve veterans with
critical needs by ensuring that the VA uses all available tools to
recruit and hire qualified mental health professionals in a timely and
effective manner.
The VA faces a critical shortage of mental health professionals,
including psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, and
peer support specialists. These providers care for our veterans with
behavioral health needs that include post-traumatic stress disorder,
military sexual trauma, and substance use disorder. Too many of our
veterans must wait to receive the mental health care we have promised
to them, and some might never receive needed care at all.
In my home State of New Hampshire, we are fighting a fentanyl,
heroin, and prescription opioid crisis that is disproportionately
affecting the veteran community. Rates of opioid-use disorder among
veterans rose 55 percent between 2010 and 2015, and overdose rates for
prescription opioids are twice as high as the national average among
veterans getting care at the VA. Increasing mental health provider
capacity will allow more of these veterans to enter treatment and,
ultimately, recover.
Our veterans deserve to be treated by professionals who fully
understand the veteran experience and veteran-specific mental health
conditions. That is why it is so important for veterans to have the
option to receive specialized mental health care from VA mental health
professionals who have the training that will allow them to build
trust.
In fact, only 13 percent of non-VA mental health providers meet the
criteria to deliver veteran-centric mental
[[Page H2162]]
health care, according to RAND. That is why it is so important to hire
and retain mental health professionals within the VA.
Right now, there are several open mental health positions at our
local VA Medical Center. They seek to hire clinical staff and a mental
health service line manager, but are finding it hard to locate
qualified applicants. My amendment will make it easier for the VA to
find such applicants and match them with the open positions that we
need filled.
There is an urgent need to address this problem. Every day, 20
veterans commit suicide. MST, opioid, PTSD--these are all crises we
need to address. The time to act is now. Please vote ``yes'' on this
amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Representative Shea-
Porter's amendment, which would require the VA to ensure that the
recruiting database established by section 7 of the bill includes a
list of open mental health positions.
Though I am glad to report that, as of January, only 3,469 of VA's
45,360 vacant positions were specific to mental health, it is critical
that the VA closely track to mental health vacancies on an ongoing
basis so that they can be prioritized and filled to prevent any
disruptions in care to our most vulnerable veterans.
I am fully supportive of this amendment and grateful to
Representative Shea-Porter for submitting it.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 7 Offered by Ms. Brownley of California
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 7
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 15, line 9, insert ``, including each medical center,
domiciliary facility, outpatient clinic, community-based
outpatient clinic, and vet center'' after ``Affairs''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Brownley) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an
amendment to H.R. 1367.
I thank my friend and colleague, the chairman of the Subcommittee on
Health, for introducing this bill to make important reforms to the VA's
hiring and retention systems.
My amendment makes a small, but important, change to clarify a
provision in the bill.
As long as I have served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, we have
seen and heard that retaining high-quality candidates has been a real
challenge. I can speak from experience on this.
In the greater Los Angeles region, which serves my constituents,
there has been significant turnover of senior leadership at all of our
local facilities, including our community clinic in Oxnard. These
changes and uncertainty have, in my view, been harmful to the quality
of care that our veterans receive.
That is why I am so pleased the bill directs the Comptroller General
to review succession planning at VA medical facilities.
Effective succession planning, understanding what positions are
mission critical, ensuring better training, and closing the skills gap
will help the VA become a healthier organization, and help ensure that
the VA accomplishes its mission--serving our Nation's veterans.
My amendment clarifies that a medical facility includes all VHA
facilities, including medical centers, outpatient clinics, community-
based outpatient clinics, and vet centers.
We must ensure each local facility has a strong workforce and a
succession plan for the future. Because without strong leadership, we
cannot provide the high-quality care that veterans have earned and
deserve.
I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Representative
Brownley's amendment, which would stipulate that the Government
Accountability Office report on VA succession planning should include
an assessment of succession planning at VA medical centers, domiciliary
facilities, outpatient clinics, community-based outpatient clinics, and
vet centers.
I appreciate this clarifying amendment and my friend and colleague
Representative Brownley, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on
Health, for submitting it.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Chairman, I thank the Chair for
accepting my amendment, and I look forward to our continued bipartisan
work together to provide high-quality care for our veterans.
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 0945
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Welch
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 16, after line 6, insert the following:
(6) An analysis of succession planning and hiring as it
relates to rural areas.
Page 16, line 7, strike ``(6)'' and insert ``(7)''.
Page 17, line 21, strike ``and''.
Page 17, line 24, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
Page 17, after line 24, insert the following:
(J) the ability to recruit and hire in rural areas.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentleman
from Vermont (Mr. Welch) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Vermont.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Chair, my amendment has one goal: to ensure that rural
America is very much a part of the conversation on improving the
Veterans Administration.
This very good, bipartisan bill that is before us will help the VA
improve its ability to recruit, hire, train, promote, and retain
physicians and other employees at the VA, but it could be slightly
changed to help veterans in rural America. And, by the way, a
significant number of veterans are in rural America, including Vermont.
My amendment would add two provisions. First, the underlying bill
requires the GAO to conduct a study on succession planning at the VA.
That is intended to try to better understand the problem the agency has
to have a pipeline of qualified candidates to assume critical roles
that are open.
My amendment would require the GAO to study and analyze succession
planning and hiring in rural areas. The vast majority of our country is
rural, so we have got to put an emphasis on that. The challenges in
rural America are different than in the urban areas.
Second, the underlying bill also requires the VA to collect
information on
[[Page H2163]]
hiring effectiveness: the time it takes to fill a vacant position, the
attrition rate, the reason staff leaves, investment in training and
development, and other barriers to recruitment and training. My
amendment would require that study to focus on the rural challenges
that are different, significantly, than in the urban areas.
The lack of qualified candidates that the VA can recruit and,
ultimately, fill open positions with is a real problem. But we have to
recognize that that is even more difficult in rural America.
In Vermont, we have 50,000 veterans living in the State and only nine
VA facilities to help them. These are some of the satellite facilities
that are quite small. Our largest facility is White River Junction, the
VA Medical Center there that we are very proud of. It provided medical
care for over 26,000 of those veterans in 2016. The director there has
indicated to me that it is a real struggle to find qualified candidates
to fill mission-critical positions.
We had, at that facility, a wonderful neuropsychologist--desperately
needed--but that person was married, had children, and due to the
inability of her husband to find a job within his field of work, they
have left the VA there to go to an urban area. This is one variation of
the problem we face--to recruit, to hire, and to retain critical
personnel--that needs to be addressed in rural areas.
My amendment will help us better understand the unique challenges
rural America faces dealing with the critical staff shortages at our
veterans facilities and sets the stage for us to fix the problem.
Mr. Chair, I ask Members to support my amendment, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Representative Welch's
amendment, which would ensure that the GAO report on VA succession
planning includes an analysis of succession planning in rural areas.
Rural facilities undoubtedly face unique challenges in recruiting and
retaining employees and in planning effectively to ensure leadership
continuity as employees retire or depart. I am glad that, with the
adoption of this amendment, GAO will be reviewing these issues
specifically and will be able to offer recommendations as to how VA can
improve succession planning in rural areas where approximately 40
percent of our veterans reside.
I appreciate Representative Welch for submitting this amendment, and
I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 9 Offered by Mr. GOTTHEIMER
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 9
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 21, line 10, strike ``or''.
Page 21, line 15, strike the period and insert a semicolon.
Page 21, insert after line 15 the following:
(4) have received educational assistance under chapter 33
of title 38, United States Code; or
(5) graduated from a qualifying educational institution, as
defined by the Department, and have not reached 30 years of
age.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer) and a Member opposed each will control
5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and
ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and Representative
Wenstrup for their work on this important bill.
This legislation empowers the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with the
authority to hire the best and brightest employees.
We can all agree that you can't have a top-notch VA without employing
young veterans who want to continue serving their country after they
return from the front lines. Each and every day, our brave men and
women in uniform put their lives on the line for us, and we owe it to
them to ensure that, when they return home, they have the best care at
the VA and that they also have the best career opportunities available
to them.
This legislation is about veterans serving veterans. Young veterans
in the Fifth District of New Jersey, where I live, tell me that they
face significant challenges when they return home, even though many of
them have a desire to help serve other veterans.
I was lucky enough to hire one such veteran on my team, Mike
DeVilliers, who served in the U.S. Army. Mike is committed to helping
other veterans and has, at a local community college, where he ran a
program for student veterans. He now serves my constituents, including
our veterans and across the four counties in the Fifth District.
We should be encouraging talented and qualified young veterans like
Mike to put their skills to use and give back to their fellow
servicemen and -women. The VA is one place those skills are sorely
needed to best serve the 473,000 veterans who live in New Jersey and
the many other veterans across our country.
Mr. Chairman, approximately 60 percent of VA employees are over the
age of 45, and the Department has struggled to develop an adequate
pipeline for younger employees and emerging leaders to fill crucial and
critical roles. We have seen the negative effects of not having the
right team in place to support our veterans. While programs like
Pathways at the VA are a step in the right direction, we can do more to
improve the process and give a leg up to all veterans who wish to bring
their skills to the VA.
More than half of the post-9/11 veterans are 34 years of age or
younger, and approximately 30 percent have bachelor's or advanced
degrees; yet the Department of Labor reported that post-9/11 vets face
a higher unemployment rate than other veterans. That is simply
unacceptable.
The VA should draw from their excellent source of talent to
strengthen the care all of our veterans receive by considering more
young veterans for excepted service appointments. That is why my
amendment would make sure that the VA Secretary includes recipients of
the post-9/11 GI Bill and younger veterans who have recently graduated
from college as a distinct category qualifying for excepted service
appointments to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mr. Chairman, the mission statement of the VA is inscribed outside
the Department's headquarters. It reads: ``To care for him who shall
have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.'' This is
President Lincoln's promise to serving and honoring the men and women
who are America's heroes, and it should and must be our same commitment
today. I know of no one who stands more willing and able to serve
fellow veterans and their brothers and sisters in arms than the
veterans themselves.
There is nothing partisan about serving our veterans. This is a
commonsense solution without any new costs, and it is a perfect example
of working across party lines to help get the backs of those who have
served our country.
I urge my colleagues to join me in standing up for our veterans by
supporting this win-win solution.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Representative
Gottheimer's amendments which would ensure that veterans who are recent
graduates and/or recipients of the
[[Page H2164]]
post-9/11 GI Bill are also eligible for excepted service appointments
under section 12 of the bill.
As a veteran and as the former chairman of the Subcommittee on
Economic Opportunity, there are few things I support as strongly as
assisting veterans in seeking and receiving employment opportunities,
particularly in the Federal Government.
The skill sets and commitment to service that veterans display while
in uniform often make them particularly suited to government work once
they transition to civilian life. The adoption of this amendment would
provide yet another tool to support veterans looking to continue their
service to our Nation, and I am grateful to Representative Gottheimer
for submitting it.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 10 Offered by Ms. Herrera Beutler
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 10
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 22, line 18, strike ``, to the extent possible,''.
Page 22, beginning on line 19, strike ``and personally
identifiable information is removed'' and insert ``,
including through the use of a location that allows for
privacy, is not directly visible by another employee, and
does not require the departing employee to input any
personally identifiable data''.
Page 22, line 23, insert ``are aggregated at the Veterans
Integrated Service Network level and'' after ``subsection
(a)''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler) and a Member opposed each will
control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington.
Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend Dr. Wenstrup and
the chairman and ranking member for their work on this bill.
Today I am offering this amendment that will help get to the root of
one of the big problems within the VA that leads to high turnover by
providers and compromises care for our veteran heroes. Specifically, my
amendment strengthens anonymity protections for VA employees who fill
out exit surveys and requires that this exit survey data be more
localized so that the agency can better solve region-specific problems.
High staff turnover is an ongoing problem in our VA and it negatively
affects our veterans. High turnover leads to staff shortages and
results in veterans having to wait longer to see their doctor or their
specialist, and it also means that there are issues with continuity of
care for veterans.
Over the last few years, I have asked the VA why healthcare providers
are leaving. The VA took some educated guesses as to why but could not
provide hard data or facts.
Two years ago I inserted a directive into the MILCON VA approps bill
requiring the VA to begin offering exit surveys to collect data on why
healthcare providers are leaving. I also required that the VA develop a
detailed plan to address the primary reasons these providers were
leaving. While that report has provided some insights, we found that it
is failing to take a few important steps that would make sure we are
receiving honest feedback from these exiting providers.
For instance, the Portland VA employees who fill out the survey have
to fill it out at a kiosk in the HR office where the HR staff can see
them doing it. While the survey, itself, is anonymous, departing
employees have to log into the kiosk with their employee identification
number. The fear of being identified is a big deterrent for providers
filling out this voluntary but critical survey. Only if VA providers
are telling the honest truth about what they saw, heard, and
experienced in their workplace can the VA then fix the problems that
plague its facilities.
Therefore, we have to make this exit survey as easy and confidential
to fill out as possible, and that is what my amendment requires. It
requires these surveys to be conducted at a location that allows for
privacy, not directly visible by another VA employee, and it does not
require the departing employee to put in any personal, identifiable
information. It also requires the exit survey data to be compiled at
the regional level to identify and acknowledge local needs.
What needs to be changed in southwest Washington may not be the same
as what is happening in Texas or Virginia or Florida, and this
amendment will help the VA identify the right region-specific
solutions.
With that, I urge Members to support my amendment so we can better
serve and support our veterans by retaining their healthcare providers.
Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Walz).
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chairman, I do not oppose this amendment. It is smart.
I have seen how important employee exit surveys can be in
facilitating and understanding how an organization can be improved,
made more efficient, or take constructive criticism. It makes absolute
sense that employees filling them out know that they can provide honest
responses because their anonymity will be protected by law, not by a
promise or regulation.
Ensuring that exit data is collected on the VISN level will give VA
leadership the most accurate look at where in the country higher
retention policies are working and where they are not. That is just
good, best practice.
Mr. Chair, I support the gentlewoman's smart amendment.
Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler).
The amendment was agreed to.
{time} 1000
Amendment No. 11 Offered by Ms. Hanabusa
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Hultgren). It is now in order to consider
amendment No. 11 printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 23, line 16, strike ``the number of employees who''
and insert the following: ``the total number of employees who
voluntarily separated from the Department and the number and
percentage of whom''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Hawaii.
Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak on my amendment to ensure
certain types of information are added to the Department of Veterans
Affairs survey data that this bill requires the Department to create
and report to the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs.
This bill instructs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and
carry out a standardized exit survey to be voluntarily completed by
career and noncareer employees and executives of the Department of
Veterans Affairs who voluntarily separate from the Department.
The bill currently requires the Department to report to Congress the
following types of information on an annual basis: first, an analysis
of the most common reasons employees choose to leave; second, steps the
Secretary is taking to improve retention; third, the demographic
characteristics of employees choosing to leave; fourth, the legislative
barriers to improving employee retention; and, fifth, the number of
employees who took the survey.
Mr. Chairman, there is important information missing that must be
gathered by the Department: one, the total number of employees who
voluntarily exited the Department during the reporting period; and,
two, the percentage of those employees who actually responded to the
survey.
Without this critical information, Congress will be unable to assess
the value of the reported data relative to the total number of
employees who departed the Department.
Mr. Chairman, I am asking that we get a full picture, and my
amendment will help us do that.
[[Page H2165]]
I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Representative
Hanabusa's amendment, which would tweak the report on exit surveys the
VA is required to submit in section 13 of the bill to stipulate the VA
provide the total number of employees who voluntarily separated from VA
service and the percentage of those who took an exit survey.
This information will be very helpful for Congress to receive in
order to track how many employees are choosing to voluntarily leave the
VA and are taking advantage of the opportunity to complete an exit
survey prior to their departure.
I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment, and
I am grateful to Representative Hanabusa for submitting it.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Hawaii
will be postponed.
Amendment No. 12 Offered by Ms. Meng
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 12
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Ms. MENG. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill insert the following:
SEC. 14. ENCOURAGING TRANSITION OF MILITARY MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS INTO EMPLOYMENT WITH VETERANS
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program
to encourage an individual who serves in the Armed Forces
with a military occupational specialty relating to the
provision of health care to seek employment with the Veterans
Health Administration when the individual has been discharged
or released from service in the Armed Forces or is
contemplating separating from such service.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentlewoman
from New York (Ms. Meng) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
Ms. MENG. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would require the VA Secretary
to establish a program encouraging members of our Armed Forces serving
as health professionals to pursue jobs with the Veterans Health
Administration upon discharge or separation from the military.
As we all know, the VHA has existing shortages of health
professionals. We also know that our servicemen and -women sometimes
have difficulty transitioning back to civilian life after serving.
What would be better than having a servicemember with healthcare
training and experience transition into employment with the VHA serving
their brothers and sisters?
Mr. Chair, I believe that everyone wins with this amendment. This
program would be completely optional to participate in, would help
reduce staffing shortages at the VHA, and would provide job
opportunities to recently discharged servicemembers.
I urge support for this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Representative
Meng's amendment, which would encourage military medical professionals
who are transitioning out of the Armed Forces to seek employment within
the Veterans Health Administration.
Wherever possible, the VA should be filling vacant positions at VA
medical facilities with eligible, qualified veterans. And I am fully
supportive of any amendment like this one that recognizes the highly
specialized skills that many veterans gained while in uniform, skills
that, in this case, could be used in service to fellow veterans by
addressing access to care challenges across the country.
I am grateful to Representative Meng for this important amendment,
and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 13 Offered by Mr. Bost
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 13
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Add at the end the following new section:
SEC. 14. PLAN TO HIRE DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL CENTERS OF
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Plan.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall develop and implement a plan to hire highly qualified
directors for each medical center of the Department of
Veterans Affairs that lacks a permanent director as of the
date of the plan. The Secretary shall prioritize the hiring
of such directors for the medical centers that have not had a
permanent director for the longest periods.
(b) Matters Included.--The plan developed under subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) A deadline to hire the directors of the medical centers
of the Department as described in such subsection.
(2) Identification of the possible impediments to such
hiring.
(3) Identification of opportunities to promote and train
candidates from within the Department to senior executive
positions in the Department, including as directors of
medical centers.
(c) Submission.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate the plan developed under
subsection (a).
(d) Semiannual Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, and each 180-day period
thereafter until January 1, 2018, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate a list of each medical center
of the Department that lacks a permanent director as of the
date of the report.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Bost) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R.
1367.
My simple and straightforward amendment would require the Department
of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a plan to hire permanent
directors for each medical center of the VA. It also specifies that the
Secretary should prioritize the hiring of directors for locations that
have spent the longest amount of time without one.
Mr. Chairman, last Congress it was brought to my attention that the
VA medical center that many of my constituents utilize had not had a
permanent director in almost 3 years. This is simply unacceptable when
we have veterans needing quality care and are demanding reform to the
current healthcare system.
After reaching out to the Department, I came to realize that this is
a common problem around the country, which led to my introduction of
the amendment.
Under the current VA system, the Secretary is allowed to appoint an
interim director at facilities, but those individuals can only serve a
maximum of 240 days. This is simply far too short
[[Page H2166]]
a period of time to properly get to know the staff at the centers and
the needs of the location, let alone implement new reforms.
This commonsense bipartisan amendment is identical to a bill I
introduced earlier in this Congress with Members of both parties
supporting the legislation. It is also identical to legislation that
this body passed last Congress with strong bipartisan support.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense
amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am
not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Minnesota is
recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Chair, every Member of Congress has heard directly from
their constituents who receive health care from the VA that it is
understaffed. This is true at all levels, but it is vital to both the
workforce and the veterans served that each medical center have
permanent leadership.
I think all of us know--and there is an old saying--if you have been
to one VA facility, you have been to one VA facility. Again, it may
seem like the easiest thing to say that leadership matters at these
facilities. Nothing matters more.
When a VA facility is moving in the right direction, it can always be
traced to strong, directed leadership. In almost every case each one of
us has worked on, whether it is weak leadership or lack of leadership,
those situations go awry.
I have a situation in Minnesota where we have been waiting for
leadership for a year. We were notified, I believe, a week or so ago
that we are finally getting that.
I enthusiastically endorse Mr. Bost's amendment, which would require
the Department to get these things done, develop and implement a plan
within 120 days of enactment to hire a permanent director for each
medical center which does not have one.
As the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) says in his amendment, a
new director may well be identified from senior executives already
within the Department, or he or she may be someone from outside the
agency who meets the qualifications and wants to work at the VA.
What is necessary is that filling these open directorships be made a
priority. Requiring the VA to show us the plan to do so and provide
regular updates as that plan is implemented is a way to set this
priority.
I commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) for getting at the
heart of this. This will be about accountability. It will put the right
people in place to make the right decisions and get the care for our
veterans.
Mr. Chairman, I strongly support it, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Wenstrup).
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Representative
Bost's amendment, which would require the Department of Veterans
Affairs to develop and implement a plan to hire directors at each VA
medical center that lacks a permanent director.
Twenty-five percent of current VA medical center directors are
eligible to retire, and the VA testified last year that it can take
more than 6 months and multiple reannouncements to recruit new VA
medical center directors.
The VA must begin planning now to ensure that leadership at VA
medical centers across the country remain stable and that medical
center director vacancies are closely monitored and prioritized.
The text of this amendment passed the House last year with unanimous
support, and I am grateful to Representative Bost for submitting this
amendment again this year to H.R. 1367.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 14 Offered by Mr. O'Rourke
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 14
printed in part B of House Report 115-39.
Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Add at the end the following new section:
SEC. 14. RECRUITMENT OF PHYSICIANS IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Section 7402(b)(1) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) by inserting ``or to be offered a contingent
appointment to such position,'' after ``position,''; and
(2) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following new subparagraph (B):
``(B)(i) have completed a residency program satisfactory to
the Secretary; or
``(ii) with respect to an offer for a contingent
appointment upon the completion of a post-graduate training
program, complete such a residency program by not later than
two years after the date of such offer; and''.
(b) Oversight of Graduate Medical Education Programs.--The
Secretary shall--
(1) ensure that a recruiter or other similar official of
each Veterans Integrated Service Network visits, not less
than annually, each allopathic and osteopathic teaching
institution with a graduate medical education program within
the Network to recruit individuals to be appointed to
positions in the Veterans Health Administration; and
(2) submit to Congress an annual report on the
implementation of paragraph (1), including the success of
such recruiting efforts.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 198, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. O'Rourke) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by recognizing the
incredibly important work of my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup) in
ensuring that we bring more physicians and care providers into the VA
so that more veterans can get access to quality, timely care, producing
better outcomes for them.
Of course, our veterans have served this country so honorably and
have put their lives on the line, and now it is our turn to fulfill our
obligation. Dr. Wenstrup's underlying legislation is going to ensure
that we get a step closer to doing that. He will agree with me, I hope,
that one of our challenges is recruiting the right talent into the VA
out of residency programs across the country.
Right now, the VA is operating with one hand tied behind its back
because it limits itself to the last year of a medical residency before
it begins talking to that resident to try to recruit them to serve at
the VA.
Meanwhile, most residents begin making career decisions a year or two
earlier than that. And private sector clinics, hospitals, other public
institutions are talking to those residents, trying to recruit them,
and successfully bringing them to places other than the VA.
This amendment will allow the VA to begin recruiting and offering
conditional job offers with 2 years left in a residency. It will help
us to address the fact that today there are 43,000 authorized funded
positions that are open in the VA where we don't have the doctors, the
psychiatrists, the primary care providers, the medical professionals we
need to provide the care that veterans need.
We need to begin recruiting earlier, more effectively, and more
successfully. This amendment to the underlying legislation will allow
us to do that.
I hope that I will have the support of my friend from Ohio (Mr.
Wenstrup), of the ranking member of the full committee, and of my
colleagues here in the Chamber.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time
in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Representative
O'Rourke's amendment, which would allow the VA to offer physicians
conditional job offers 2 years prior to the completion of their
residency, and also require VA recruiters or other officials to visit
each teaching institution with a residency program at least once a
[[Page H2167]]
year. It is a great idea and one that I greatly appreciate.
The VA's existing workforce is increasingly retirement-eligible, and,
historically, the VA has performed poorly in comparison to other
Federal agencies when it comes to hiring younger employees.
By creating a pipeline of young, up-and-coming physicians willing to
practice in VA medical facilities and committed to VA service, this
amendment would help ensure that the VA healthcare system is fully
staffed to care for our veterans for years to come.
The text of this amendment passed the House last year as an amendment
to H.R. 5620, and I am grateful to Representative O'Rourke for
submitting it as an amendment to H.R. 1367 today.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. O'Rourke).
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Collins of Georgia) having assumed the chair, Mr. Hultgren, Acting
Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union,
reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill
(H.R. 1367) to improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, had come to no
resolution thereon.
____________________