Virginia House Democrats Call on Trump Administration to Revise or Revoke Federal Workforce Hiring Freeze

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04) led her Virginia Democratic colleagues, Representatives Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Don Beyer (VA-08), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), andEugene Vindman (VA-07) in urging President Donald Trump to revise or revoke his hiring freeze on federal civilian employees.

Virginia is home to nearly 150,000federal employees. On January 20, President Trump took executive actionto freeze the hiring of all federal civilian positions in the U.S. government. Reports confirm the mandate forced Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers and clinics nationwide to rescind job offers for vital medical and support staff.

"The Richmond VA Medical Center was forced to rescind job offers for critical positions and temporarily halt local partnerships that allow medical students to spend part of their residency and clinical training at the facility in response to this mandate," wrote the lawmakers. "The freeze prevents the new Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center - soon to be the largest VA health facility in the nation - from opening fully staffed and operational as scheduled on February 28. Similar disruptions to hiring and important community-based programs have impacted the Hampton VA Medical Center and Salem VA Medical Center, which, along with Richmond VA Medical Center and numerous outpatient clinics are the backbone of the VHA medical system in Virginia."

Following significant pushback from Members of Congress and veteran advocacy organizations, the Trump Administration issued exemptionsfor medical personnel, but failed to expand the exemptions to other essential hospital staff necessary to meet veterans' health care needs.

"We have deep concerns that this process will do irreparable harm to the VHA's ability to hire and retain the support staff necessary to allow VHA facilities to provide adequate patient care, such as administrative, facility maintenance, patient interaction and experience, care coordination, and food service personnel," continued the lawmakers. "Given the incredibly damaging effects that this hiring freeze will have on veterans and their families and the chaos and confusion it has already unleashed on the VHA, we urge you to either revoke or clearly revise your order halting federal civilian hiring. This will ensure that VHA hospitals and medical facilities can resume hiring the staff necessary to continue providing quality and timely health care to our veterans and continue engaging in beneficial clinical training partnerships with local healthcare providers."

On Thursday, McClellan took to the House Floorto underscore the detrimental impacts of Trump's actions on VHA systems.

Read the Virginia Democratic delegation's full letter to President Trump here.

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