SPRINGFIELD, Ill.- Illinois House Republicans said after another week in Springfield, lawmakers haven’t tackled any substantive issues dealing with ethics reform.
The House adjourned after less than 10 minutes of session Friday morning. Republicans said that lawmakers are just wasting time in Springfield.
Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) said people back home want lawmakers working on important issues at the Capitol. However, she stressed that most Republican bills remain stuck in committee and haven’t made it to the House floor.
Bourne emphasized the GOP introduced over 80 proposals as part of their reimagine Illinois plan.
“We’ve got four topics that we think are important to every Illinoisan,” said Bourne. “I’m not sure that a single one of those has been allowed a vote specifically on the House floor…We’re here to offer solutions. We’re here to work on the tough issues, and it seems like the majority party is not willing.”
Republicans demand briefing on veterans’ records backlog that could take 2 years to clear
Updated 10:52 PM;
WASHINGTON A group of House Republicans on Thursday demanded a briefing from National Archives chief David Ferriero on how he intends to eliminate a bureaucratic backlog born out of the coronavirus pandemic that could force some veterans to wait up to two years for certain benefits.
The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, where many of these paper records are stored, shut down in March 2020, along with many other government buildings. The building has sat empty, with employees working remotely.
Meanwhile, records requests, most of which require someone to physically search for documents within the building, piled up. The backlog has grown to more than 499,000 requests, a spokesperson for the National Archives told Roll Call in April, and will take 18 to 24 months to clear once the center is staffed at full capacity.
Skeptics question VA promise to increase diversity in senior management May 6 Three statues portraying a wounded soldier being helped to care stand on the grounds of the Minneapolis VA Hospital in June 2014. (Jim Mone/AP) Veterans
Affairs officials are promising more focused initiatives to improve minority representation in department leadership positions, but outside advocates remain skeptical that the efforts can work. “To be honest, it’s rather difficult to fully invest in processes that have existed for some time and expect them to yield different results,” said Victor LaGroon, director of the Black Veterans Empowerment Council, said during a congressional hearing Thursday. “I think we’re absolutely right when we say that we need to put our foot on the gas and expect more and push further.”
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