Federal Employee Group Pushes Back on Marco Rubio's and Jeff Miller's VA Reforms

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the chairman of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, unveiled a bill earlier this week giving the U.S. secretary of veterans affairs the ability to fire or demote senior VA department officials based on performance. Rubios and Millers bill would give the VA secretary the ability to fire or demote senior executive service (SES) officials in the department. As of fiscal year 2012, there were 448 SES officials in the department. But now the Senior Executives Association (SEA) which represents federal employees is pushing back

Not only is this bill a solution in search of a problem, it is unfair and does not further the goal that we all share to ensure the highest quality care for our nations veterans, said SEA President Carol Bonosaro. Further, nearly one third of the career members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) working at the VA are themselves veterans. They share a commitment to continued public service, and it is a shame that the very committee that is looking for ways to increase the presence of veterans in the federal workforce would now enable firing those at the highest career levels without any due process whatsoever.

The SEA argued this would give SES workers less job protection than other federal employees and would subject them to political pressure.