Federal employee groups blast Veterans First Act

By Carten Cordell

A group of 12 federal employee unions and associations are voicing their displeasure with several provisions in the Veterans First Act.

The group—which includes the Senior Executives Association, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association and Federal Managers Association—penned a May 18 letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., outlining three sections in the omnibus reform bill that the coterie said undermine employee rights.

“If enacted, these provisions would undermine constitutionally-guaranteed protections available to Department of Veterans Affairs employees who are subject to discipline for misconduct or performance,” the letter said.  “Moreover, these provisions would fail to protect the integrity of services to our nation’s veterans by permitting the VA’s workforce to become vulnerable to undue political influence.”

The Veterans First Act was introduced on April 28 as a bipartisan reform bill shepherded by Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Ct., the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Acting SEA president Jason Briefel said the bill, if passed, could face a challenge in the courts for its sweeping discipline changes, but could also usher in a spate of political favoritism and reprisals.

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