Rep. Ruben Gallego Statement on Sen. McCain’s Decision to Abandon Misguided Changes to the Veterans Preference Program
Washington, DC – Senator John McCain said on Tuesday that he would remove language in the National Defense Authorization Act that would have undermined the long-standing veteran preference in federal hiring.
The highly controversial language formerly backed by Sen. McCain would have prevented veterans from benefitting from the preference system if they were already employed by the federal government.
In June, the House of Representatives approved an amendment to the financial services appropriations bill introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego that was designed to protect that program. Rep. Gallego’s amendment received the support of the vast majority of the House, with a 409 to 14 vote.
Rep. Ruben Gallego issued the following statement:
“I strongly believe veterans who served our nation in uniform deserve the chance to serve our nation in the federal government. Under McCain’s proposal, if a particular job wasn’t a good fit, or if a veteran wanted to move up the ladder at a different agency, he or she would have been deprived of this benefit.
“When I returned from Iraq, I saw friends and fellow Marines struggle to find employment and readjust to civilian life. The veterans preference system has helped many courageous Americans to find good jobs when they return from war so that they can provide for their families. It helps to create a fair playing field by compensating veterans for the time they spent fighting overseas instead of working in government or the private sector.
“I want to thank the veterans organizations that fought to protect this important system. I also want to thank my colleagues, Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick, Mark Takano and Pete Aguilar, for helping me lead that fight in the House of Representatives.
“Our veterans earn this preference through their hard work and sacrifice. I am glad that Sen. McCain has finally abandoned his misguided efforts to put this program at risk.”