VA Accountability Act

A House bill passed last week would give the Veterans Affairs secretary much more flexibility to fire corrupt or poor-performing employees — not just top officials. The 2015 VA Accountability Act would expand on the authority of last year’s Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, which made it easier to get rid of senior executives engaged in wrongdoing. But this new authority could have some unintended consequences. John Palguta, vice president for policy at the Partnership for Public Service, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to explain some of the legislation’s unintended consequences.

MSPB Chair Susan Tsui Grundmann took aim at a recent law and the legislation it’s spawned. The year-old Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 curtails the due process rights of Senior Executive Service members in the Veterans Affairs Department. Just recently, the House passed legislation to extend the measure to the rest of the VA’s workforce.

The measure would preserve VA employees’ rights to appeal disciplinary decisions, while shortening the appeals process. VA leaders says they do not need another law, while the White House has threatened to veto the bill out of concern for employees’ due process rights.

The VA secretary is not merely angry at the MPSB’s recent request to reinstate Brian Hawkins, he’s determined to fire him

In his first State of the Union, President Donald Trump highlights VA’s success with removing 1,500 employees under the June 2017 law.

What does the Senior Executives Association think about President Donald Trump’s plans to reform the civil service system? Find out when SEA President Bill Valdez joins host Mike Causey on this week’s Your Turn. April 4, 2018