Speaking with CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday, new Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald revealed that he has about 1,000 VA employees in his crosshairs in the wake of scandals pertaining to treatment wait time and faulty medical equipment — but actually firing them won't be an easy task. That's because it is far more difficult for federal agencies to get rid of even the most incompetent employees:
CBS' Scott Pelley: Bob McDonald can't punish or fire a thousand people right now. He's discovering how different the Capitol is from capitalism. To fire a government manager he has to put together a case and prove it to an administrative judge.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
New Zealand is up in arms over Maori rights billIn the Spotlight Thousands of New Zealanders have taken to the streets over the bill
-
Samarkand travel guide: the cultural heart of UzbekistanThe Week Recommends The mesmerising ancient city blends old and new
-
A 'golden age' of luxury train travelThe Week Recommends Plush new sleeper trains are cropping up across Europe from Norway to Italy
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
