Van Hollen Protects Jobs of Disabled Federal Workers at NIH
Van Hollen Protects Jobs of Disabled Federal Workers at NIH
Washington, D.C. - United States Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) sent the following letter to Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health.
Van Hollen was contacted by the mother of a 34-year-old man with autism whose job at the NIH was being subjected to an A-76 public-private competition. The man had been hired by NIH as a "Schedule A" employee because of his disability.
Van Hollen contacted HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt to advise him that he had introduced HR 1480, the Federal Employees with Disabilities Protection Act, which would ensure that the employment of federal employees with disabilities would be protected from the effects of competitive outsourcing, and to request that the agency defer action on NIH's outsourcing of jobs held by disabled employees until Congress had an opportunity to act on this important legislation.
Shortly thereafter, the OMB issued a revised regulation that allowed agencies to recode certain positions, including those held by disabled workers, as not appropriate for private sector performance.
By letter dated June 16, 2005, NIH Director Zerhouni advised Van Hollen that five positions at NIH, including the one about which the Congressman had expressed his concern, had been recoded and would not be subject to private sector outsourcing.
Congressman Van Hollen's letter follows:
June 22, 2005
Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D.
Director
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
Dear Dr. Zerhouni:
I was pleased to receive your June 16, 2005 letter advising me that the National Institutes of Health has removed the five positions held by disabled employees from its A-76 competition for Administrative Support and other Environmental Services. I appreciate your decision to recode those five positions as inappropriate for private sector performance.
The federal government's decades-old policy of providing employment for people with disabilities has played a key role in ensuring that such individuals are able to lead independent and productive lives. Your agency's demonstrated commitment to this policy is commendable.
Thank you for helping to ensure that the federal government meets its obligations to this vulnerable segment of our population.
Sincerely,
Chris Van Hollen
Member of Congress
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/md08_vanhollen/federalworkersrelease.html