Rep. Harder Introduces Bill to Help VA Hire More Specialized Doctors by Lifting Pay Limits
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. It was recently introduced and referred to the committee for further study. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
While helping veterans is usually popular, many bills introduced late in the session without a large number of cosponsors struggle to get a final vote.
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Veterans who depend on VA hospitals and clinics for specialized medical care could benefit from better access to top doctors and shorter wait times. The VA has long struggled to fill critical health care positions because federal pay limits make it hard to compete with private hospitals. By removing the cap on pay waivers, the VA could recruit more specialists in fields like surgery, mental health, and cardiology, improving the quality and timeliness of care for millions of veterans.
“to eliminate the cap on the number of waivers to certain pay limitations that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may issue for critical health care personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs.”
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
VA Secretary Doug Collins requested lawmakers provide more flexibility on top pay levels for doctors, noting that current law only allows 300 waivers to the $400,000 pay ceiling. Collins argued for broader authority to waive caps across specific medical specialties to improve recruitment.
Bipartisan lawmakers criticized the VA for delays in implementing pay cap waivers authorized by the Elizabeth Dole Act. The law allowed 300 waivers to the $400,000 salary cap for critical roles, but internal disagreements at the VA have reportedly stalled the rollout of higher compensation.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the cap on the number of waivers to certain pay limitations that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may issue for critical health care personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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