State delegation among those who want to exempt VA, vets from hiring freeze
Connecticut's congressional delegates are among those lawmakers pushing for the Department of Veterans' Affairs and all veterans seeking federal jobs to be exempt from the government hiring freeze put in place by President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Trump announced an across-the-board hiring freeze of federal employees with the exception of military personnel. There was initial confusion about whether the freeze applied to civilian contractors working for the military. Pentagon officials reportedly confirmed Wednesday that it does apply to those civilian positions.
U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., joined more than 50 other federal lawmakers in penning a joint letter to Trump "demanding" that he exempt the VA and veterans seeking federal jobs from the freeze, noting that they make up 31 percent of the federal workforce.
The VA currently has more than 45,000 job vacancies, according to the lawmakers, who said a "freeze will add to the chronic workforce shortages that are plaguing VA, and that more doctors, nurses and administrative staff are needed at VA facilities to reduce wait times across the country and make payments on time."
The VA "intends to exempt anyone it deems necessary for public safety, including frontline caregivers," according to a statement from Randal Noller, a spokesman for the VA.
It's unclear who qualifies as a "frontline caregiver." The GOP chairs of the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committee wrote to Trump on Thursday, asking him to provide additional guidance to the VA on the hiring freeze.
"It's completely inexcusable to interrupt the normal hiring process to deal with these issues," Courtney said.
In a phone call earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, pointed out that the Veterans Choice Act of 2014 authorized $5 billion for the VA to hire primary care and specialty care physicians and other medical staff.
The legislation also required an annual report from the VA inspector general detailing staffing shortages at medical facilities and positions most needed. The report found that the "largest critical need" was for medical officers, nurses, psychologists, physician assistants, physical therapists and medical technologists.
Courtney was among about 100 lawmakers who wrote a letter to Trump dated Jan. 9 asking him to rethink his proposal for a hiring freeze. The lawmakers said that past hiring freezes enacted under Democratic and Republican administrations did not result in significantly reducing the size of the federal workforce or "enhanced federal government operations."
Courtney is also a cosponsor of a bill that would exempt the VA from any federal employment hiring freeze.
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