On the recordJuly 29, 2015
I admire the gentleman very much. We work very well together. But I think it is a misstatement to say that this bill would allow people to be fired on the spot at the VA. That is certainly, I don't believe, true at all. I believe it would have to be with cause, and the VA would have to have a reason. There is nothing in this legislation where we would empower people to do things that would not follow proper Federal law nor established rules of procedure for the employee to have the proper amount of protection. But what is stated and understood is, where an employee has been underperforming, misperforming, or has violated their oath of office, where they have a diligence to people under their care or where they have done intentional deeds and then tried to cover it up, that would be cause, and that is what this is about. This is not about firing someone on the spot. I think it would be a misstatement to try and characterize this important legislation that has been well thought through, as well as worked out with the VA, as being from that perspective. I reserve the balance of my time.
