Welcome to the 119th Congress. NOVA will continue to advocate on behalf of all nurses working at the VA. We released our 2025 Legislative Priority Goals on January 7, 2025; the press release and list of priorities can be found here.

The goals focus on funding, staffing, recruitment & retention with an emphasis on sufficient on-time funding to allow the ongoing hiring of healthcare staff and ensuring any legislation or funding of community care does not impede the superior care VHA offers to Veterans. We also ask that all community providers be required to have comparable quality and training standards equal to VA providers. 

Goals under recruitment and retention include:

1. Reviewing staffing levels and hiring in all settings so that VA can deliver timely access for all Veterans seeking care. 

2. Ensuring salary surveys are performed annually for all nursing workforce (APRN, RN, LPN, LVN) so that VHA remains competitive in local markets, and support and revise qualifications and pay levels for LPNs.

We will continue to partner with our Labor, Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), and the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) to strengthen the nursing profession and to build a strong workforce for the future. 

Just a few final notes on the 119th Congress:
House and Senate VA Committee members will be released this month, as well as Budget and Appropriations Committees and Subcommittees. These are the leaders who will decide the agenda policies, and hearings for VA as well as FY2025 & FY2026 funding.

I remind all of you of the importance of your advocacy and influence as the most respected profession. As nurses what you say matters and educating your lawmakers – both House & Senate – as to what you need to provide timely access to high quality healthcare is critical.

I ask you to join us in Washington D.C. for our Annual Hill Day on Thursday, March 20, 2025. You can register here.

We will meet with members of the new Congress and remind them that VA remains the only Federal health system that provides the highest level of coordinated care. VHA also trains 70% of U.S. doctors as well as providing critical research that helps not just Veterans but the population at large.

We are always looking for more members to help us advocate and be a part of the NOVA Legislative Committee. If interested, please contact me at tmorris@vanurse.org.

Keep advocating for yourselves, Veterans, and the VA System!