Republicans Blast VA For Putting Unions Ahead Of Veterans Care

Republicans blasted Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials Thursday for allowing hundreds of employees to spend 100 percent of their work hours on union activities instead of caring for veterans, with some in the GOP questioning whether to eliminate taxpayer-funded union time entirely.

Some Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (HOGR) Subcommittee on Government Operations joined the Republicans in demanding a full accounting of the taxpayer-funded hours VA employees devote to conducting union work.

Their comments came after a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report revealed that VA doesn’t track official time accurately; some VA managers even worry such activities distract from patient care.

“Something’s gotta change,” an exasperated Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan said. “I appreciate y’all having the hearing, but look, this is unbelievable, unbelievable what we have here. So let’s hope we can change it and get rid of all these folks on official time.”

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