A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, aims to address staffing shortages at the Department of Veterans Affairs by requiring it to develop a long-term strategy aligned with projected demand for services.
The “Optimizing the VA Workforce for Veterans Act,” co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, would require the department to create, maintain and submit to Congress a strategic plan that matches staffing levels with current and anticipated demand for services, including at the local level, in line with industry best practices.
The measure would also require the department to set goals for improving workforce productivity and for recruiting and retaining veterans, military spouses, caregivers and survivors, while reducing the time needed to hire and onboard new employees.
The legislation follows last year’s cuts of nearly 30,000 department employees under the Trump administration and concerns about further reductions in staff and services. It would require the department to give Congress advance notice of major staffing changes or layoffs, with a detailed justification of the potential impact.
“Our veterans served this country with grit and class, and now it is our turn to return the favor and provide access to the high-quality care and benefits they have rightly earned,” King said. “The current workforce shortage at the VA is an unforced error that we must now expeditiously work to mitigate.”
Veterans make up an estimated 8% of Maine’s population.
