VA Hospitals Establishing Leadership Performance Act

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 293) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish qualifications for the human resources positions within the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 293.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 293, the VA Hospitals Establishing Leadership Performance Act, introduced by our committee's ranking member, Mr. Bost.

This bill would require VA to establish qualifications and performance metrics for human resources positions within the Veterans Health Administration. This legislation follows a 2017 Government Accountability Office report that found human capital process deficiencies, such as a lack of performance metrics for certain positions.

GAO concluded that these deficiencies negatively affected VA's ability to serve veterans. The legislation does not specify what metrics VA must use, but leaves that determination up to VA. Instituting these human resource management improvements at VA is a commonsense, good-government step.

H.R. 293 was favorably reported by the committee, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the VA Hospitals Establishing Leadership Performance Act.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further questions, and I am prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 293, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 293, VA Hospitals Establishing Leadership Performance Act. I believe that a high- performing organization needs to have clear qualifications and metrics by which they can measure success. Without them, organizations lose their way.

That is why I am proud to have, once again, introduced the VA Hospital Establishing Leadership Performance Act. My bill would require VA to establish standardized qualifications and performance metrics for each human resource position within the Veterans Health Administration.

A few years ago, the committee found that certain HR professionals working in the VA healthcare system did not have the proper education or experience for the jobs that they held.

For example, one HR director at a medical center lacked both a college degree and relevant work experience when hired for the job. This bill would make sure that that does not happen again by requiring HR staff to be qualified and equipped to handle VA's complex human resources needs.

During the 115th Congress, this bill passed the House by a vote of 417-0. I hope that it, again, gains that type of support with this entire Chamber.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support my bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on June 15, 2022, I voted against bills En Bloc. Had H.R. 610, H.R. 293, H.R. 587, H.R. 1144, H.R. 1921, H.R. 2008, H.R. 2332, H.R. 2545, and H.R. 3642 each received a standalone vote, I would have voted in support of each bill. I opposed the En Bloc because I oppose H.R. 1703.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 8 of House Resolution 473, I move to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 293, H.R. 587, H.R. 610, H.R. 1144, H.R. 1703, H.R. 1921, H.R. 2008, H.R. 2332, H.R. 2545, and

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.