Pappas, Cline Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand VA Workforce, Strengthen Veterans' Access to Health Care

Press Release

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06) introduced the VA Workforce Investment and Expansion Act to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) workforce by enhancing VA hiring practices and incentives to better recruit and retain health care professionals, and strengthen veteran access to quality VA health care.

"Our veterans sacrifice so much in service to our country and often return home only to face undue barriers to the care they need," said Congressman Chris Pappas. "That's why today I'm introducing the bipartisan VA Workforce Investment and Expansion Act to bolster VA's workforce and strengthen VA facilities' ability to better recruit and retain high-quality, highly-skilled staff needed to properly serve veterans seeking VA health care services. This investment will support economic growth and expand job opportunities in our communities while improving facilities that serve some of the most vulnerable veterans in rural areas. I'm committed to ensuring our veterans receive the quality care that they have earned and urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure."

"Making sure our Veterans have timely access to quality care is essential to meeting their unique healthcare needs," said Congressman Ben Cline. "Ensuring areas like ours can recruit, train, and retain healthcare professionals in rural VA facilities is key to meeting this goal. As part of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, I am pleased to work in a bipartisan effort with Congressman Pappas (D-NH) to provide incentives and utilize best practices to improve and expand medical staff within the VA Medical Systems."

Specifically, the VA Workforce Investment and Expansion Act would:

Establish a national VA Rural Recruitment and Hiring Plan to develop and implement best practices for recruiting healthcare professionals to rural VA facilities in consultation with VA Medical Centers and community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs).
Grant VA the authority to buy out employment contracts for certain health care professionals in exchange for employment at rural or highly rural VA facilities, to make VA more competitive in rural areas where there is already major competition for health care providers.
Expand hiring opportunities for housekeeping aides, one of the most understaffed and hardest to hire positions in VA facilities across the country.
Modify or waive pay caps for certain VA employees to allow VA the flexibility to compete with local markets and expand employee incentives to better retain employees essential for providing VA health care.
Set qualifications and performance metrics for VA human resources positions and require VA create a plan to recruit and retain human resources employees.

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