FederalDaily - December 18, 2007
Senate Confirms Peake as New VA Chief
The Senate on Dec. 14 confirmed James Peake, a former Army Surgeon General, as secretary of the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA). The new secretary takes over a sprawling agency recently criticized for its
inadequate response to the needs of some returning veterans. During confirmation hearings, Peake told
lawmakers that he would beef up staffing at VA clinics and do a better job at budgeting. President
Bush said Peake will be tasked with the final implementation of the Dole-Shalala presidential commission
recommendations. The blue-ribbon panel, chaired by former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., and former Health
and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, suggested broad changes in the way the VA treated post-traumatic
stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The group, empanelled after poor patient conditions were
revealed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, also recommended that VA streamline its healthcare
and disability processes and strengthen support for families. To see more, go to: www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/12/20071214-18.html.
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APWU Critical of Postal Service Deal
The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) was sharply critical of a new U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
negotiated service agreement (NSA) that the union says is heavily weighted in favor of Bank of America
Corp. (BA). USPS could lose anywhere from $25 million to $45 million under the BA NSA that was approved
by the USPS board of governors last week, the union said. NSAs are special rate and service arrangements
between USPS and mailers. APWU had opposed the BA NSA, arguing that USPS predictions of $5.5 million
in savings were based on obsolete data. In an opinion in October, the Postal Regulatory Commission
(PRC) noted that while the BA NSA can be justified under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement
Act—which became law in December 2006—the NSA does not require BA to improve bar code readability
to receive mail processing performance discounts. In a dissent from the PRC ruling, Vice Chairman Dawn
Tisdale wrote: “It is too certain that the Postal Service will lose money, and certain that the
losses will be too substantial, between $25 million and $45 million, for me to recommend this agreement.” To
see more, go to: http://apwu.org/news/webart/2007/webart07113-boa_nsa-071212.htm.
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Bill Would Strengthen Vets’ Workplace Rights
Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, introduced a bill on Dec. 13 they said
would strengthen the employment and reemployment rights of returning servicemembers. The Uniformed
Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Enforcement Improvement Act imposes deadlines
on federal agencies to assist servicemembers in finding work or returning to their previous jobs. It
also implements Government Accountability Office recommendations to reduce inefficiencies and improve
the information collected by the government on these employment/reemployment issues. Akaka noted that
hearings by the Committee on Veterans Affairs have revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the federal
agencies that are tasked with helping returning servicemembers, many of whom have lost their jobs because
of their deployment. “When veterans turn to the government to protect their employment rights,” Akaka
said in a statement, “they deserve solutions, not delays. This legislation will assist the federal
government in protecting the employment rights of veterans.” To see more, go to: http://akaka.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Home&month=12&year=2007&release_id=1951.
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