📣 Dr. Sheila Elliott Testifies Before Congress on VA Bonus Program Failures, Calls for Urgent Reform

JULY 23, 2025 | WASHINGTON, D.C. — In powerful testimony delivered before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Dr. Sheila Elliott—President Emerita of AFGE Local 2328 and a 35-year pharmacist at Hampton VA Medical Center—called out critical failures in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ bonus incentive practices and urged Congress to take immediate action to protect frontline workers and the veterans they serve.

The hearing, titled “Counting the Money: Preventing Fraud and Abuse in VA’s Bonus Payment Practices for VA Employees,” focused on the administration of the VA’s recruitment, retention, and relocation (RRR) bonuses.

💥 Key Takeaways from Dr. Elliott’s Testimony

🔍 Broken Bonus System

Dr. Elliott cited a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) report showing widespread oversight failures in how the VA distributes RRR bonuses. She pointed to the centralization of HR away from local facilities as a major cause of administrative breakdowns, high turnover, and lost institutional knowledge.

“HR staff no longer know our people—or the veterans we serve. That failure has real consequences.”

❌ Lack of Transparency at Hampton VAMC

Despite outreach to VA leadership, no data was available on who received bonuses at Hampton. Local 2328 took matters into their own hands—surveying 800 bargaining unit employees and discovering only 9 total bonus recipients (4 recruitment, 4 retention, 1 relocation) over four years.

🏥 Understaffed North Battlefield Clinic

Dr. Elliott highlighted that the new North Battlefield Outpatient Clinic, which opened earlier this year, is operating at just 27% staffing (150 of 550 positions filled). She pressed VA leaders and lawmakers to use existing bonus tools to address these dangerous gaps in care.

⚖️ A Fight for Rights—and Results

Dr. Elliott didn’t stop at bonus reform. She directly addressed broader issues affecting recruitment and retention:

Trump’s Executive Order 14251 (signed March 27, 2025) gutted collective bargaining rights for over 1.5 million federal workers, including many at the VA.
AFGE members lost union protections while other unions were selectively exempted.
She called on Congress to pass H.R. 2550 — the Protect America’s Workforce Act to nullify the illegal order and restore workers’ rights.

“AFGE members with the same jobs, same duties, and same dedication lost their rights—because of who their union was. That’s not just unfair, it’s un-American.”

💻 Telework Rollbacks Are Hurting Clinicians and Veterans

With the rollback of telework under the Trump administration, many clinicians are now forced to report in person only to conduct telehealth visits from crowded, non-private bullpen spaces. Dr. Elliott warned this was driving talented providers away—and harming veteran care.

🗣️ A Call to Congress—and the Public

In closing, Dr. Elliott urged lawmakers to act on multiple fronts:

Fix the bonus program and restore local HR capacity.
Pass H.R. 2550 and H.R. 3261 to protect worker rights.
Reform VA’s misuse of Title 38 (7422) to block fair grievances.
Expand telework options for eligible VA staff.

“AFGE stands ready to work with Congress and the VA. But we need more than talk—we need action to protect this workforce and the veterans who depend on us.”