Concerned about Trump's Hiring Freeze Hurting VA Operations, Deluzio Pushes for Answers from VA Pittsburgh
CARNEGIE, PA – Today, Navy and Iraq War veteran Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) wrote a letter to the VA Pittsburgh Director, asking for answers about the impact of President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze on Western Pennsylvania’s veterans. A veteran who uses the VA for his healthcare himself, Congressman Deluzio wants to ensure that the President’s Executive Order from January 20, 2025 does not hurt veterans, does not stop VA Pittsburgh from filling critical positions, or does not force VA to push veterans away from VA care into more costly and less accountable fee-for-service non-VA care. On January 23, 2025, the Trump Administration clarified that some positions at the VA are exempt from the hiring freeze, but questions still remain. The Congressman hopes to get answers from the Director of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Mr. Donald Koenig.
The Congressman requests a reply to his letter by January 30, 2025 at the latest.
The full text of the letter is here, or below.
Mr. Donald Koenig
Director, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Pittsburgh VA Medical Center
University Drive C
Pittsburgh, PA 15240
Dear Director Koenig,
I am writing to learn from you how President Trump’s recently announced hiring freeze on federal employees is affecting the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) and our community of veterans in Western Pennsylvania. To that end, I request answers to the following questions no later than January 30, 2025:
Is VAPHS affected, or likely to be affected, by the hiring freeze?
Yesterday, the VA released a memo on hiring freeze guidance, which included a list of occupations exempt from the freeze. Are any positions that VAPHS was planning to fill for occupations excluded from that list? If so, what positions are VAPHS now unable to fill? (Please describe how many positions are affected.)
The VA memo on hiring freeze guidance implements a new “request for exemption” requirement to hire positions subject to the freeze. Does VAPHS intend to submit requests for exemption for every occupation that VAPHS is no longer able to hire? Does this new requirement make it easier or harder for VAPHS to fill positions?
I am concerned that this hiring freeze will further push veterans out of VA care and into more costly and less accountable fee-for-service (or “community”) care. Do you expect that this hiring freeze will affect VAPHS’s ability to provide direct VA care for eligible veterans?
Thank you for your service to this country and veterans across Western Pennsylvania. I look forward to your prompt reply.
Very respectfully,
Chris Deluzio, Member of Congress
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