Brian Higgins: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the VA Employee Fairness Act. We rely on…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the VA Employee Fairness Act. We rely on the work of dedicated healthcare professionals to care for our veterans who risk their lives for our country. Yet, our laws do not provide an adequate voice for those workers to ensure care is of the highest quality. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us why that voice is necessary. This bill changes that by granting all VA healthcare providers the same collective bargaining rights. It means that healthcare workers can have a greater say in protecting patients, ensuring clinical competence, and setting wages and benefits. It would provide rights for over 100,000 VA doctors, nurses, dentists, and chiropractors, including more than 350 nurses at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. I am proud to be one of 218 cosponsors of this bill on the floor today, and I urge my colleagues to please support it.”