. >> my name is mj burke on the first executive vice president of the afge national va council, probablyresenting 280,000 employees we like the mission that has been entrusted to us i believe that va's mission is the greatest of all the federal agencies. the goal of the current administration executive orders without eliminating hello acting b as to turn more va care private sector with the result of diminishing the quality of care that we internally can provide because, if you have three or four va or nurses leave, despite being excluded list, these nurses can go to another job but under current va policies, managers will not be able to hire enough nurses back quickly enough at the rate in order to replace them. administrative actions are purported to make us more efficient but even before the new assaults budget uncertainty met hiring was already frozen. now they want to pile reductions on top of vacancies that we already have. even before the recent budget shortfalls, the va needed to hire 1000 doctors and 5000 registered nurses a year just to keep up with the amount of retirements go

my name is mj burke, national va council proudly, proudly representing 280,000 employees. i like many other came to the va because we like the va clinical environment and the mission that has been entrusted to us. i believe that va's mission is the greatest of all federal agencies. the goal of the current administration, flurry of executive orders regardless of whether it's eliminating telework or enacting hiring freezes or potentially replacing us at 1 to 4 ratio is ultimately forcing federal employee reduction so as to turn more va care over to the private sector with the results of diminishing the quality of care that we internally can provide because if you have 3 of 4or nurses leave despite being on excluded list, these nurses can go to another job but under va policies, manager wills not be allowed to hire enough nurses back quickly enough at the rate enough in order to replace them. 75% of the members reported that they need more administrative staff, 77% reported vacant positions that they have not recruited. these will only make things worse. vacant positions need