On Wednesday, September 14, 2016, the House considered H.R. 5620, the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016. This legislation undermines Veterans Administration employees, many who are veterans themselves. It allows the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs to fire managers with minimal notice and eliminates a requirement that an employee be informed of the specific reasons for termination. Employees who have been terminated may appeal to the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB). H.R. 5620 gives the MSPB just 60 days to review a case and issue a decision. If the board cannot issue a decision within that very short timeframe, the dismissal stands. While H.R. 5620 does contain some provisions to improve the appeals process for veterans, it takes away important employee protections. I voted NO. H.R. 5620 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:
| YEA | NAY | PRESENT | NOT VOTING | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REPUBLICAN | 241 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
| DEMOCRAT | 69 |
116 |
0 |
1 |
| TOTAL | 310 |
116 |
0 |
5 |
| MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0 |