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H.R. 696: To prohibit any hiring freeze from affecting the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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H.R. 696: To prohibit any hiring freeze from affecting the Department of Veterans Affairs.

115th Congress · introduced 2017-01-24 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-01-24 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Schrader, Kurt [D-OR-5] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

To prohibit any hiring freeze from affecting the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Plain summary

This bill declares that the memorandum titled "Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Hiring Freeze" published on January 23, 2017, or any other substantially similar memorandum, executive order, or other action by the President to prevent a department or agent of the federal government from filing vacant federal civilian employee positions or creating new such positions, shall have no force or effect with respect to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To prohibit any hiring freeze from affecting the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Schrader, Kurt [D-OR-5] · 98 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Dina Titus (D-NV), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Jim Costa (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Dwight Evans (D-PA), J. Luis Correa (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Julia Brownley (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), John Garamendi (D-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), William R. Keating (D-MA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and 38 more.

Agencies named in this bill

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr696 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115