VETERANS: Harder Announces New Bill to Cut Doctor Wait Times for Veterans

June 23, 2026 Press Release Last year, Harder passed his bill into law to lift salary caps at VA facilities causing doctor shortages As wait times for some specialties persist, new bill would allow VA to issue an unlimited amount of salary waivers WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced new legislation to build on reforms he successfully signed into law and fix doctor shortages at local Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Harder’s VA COMPETES 2.0 Act , led with Rep. Tony Wied (WI-08), allows the VA to waive salary limits on as many vacant positions as needed to fill doctor shortages and drive down wait times for veterans. Last year, Harder’s VA COMPETES Act was signed into law in response to unacceptable wait times at the Stockton VA Clinic. At the time, veterans were forced to wait more than 100 days just to get an appointment for basic care because the VA couldn’t offer competitive salaries to fill vacant positions. Harder’s law empowered the VA to waive salary caps for targeted positions, and since then wait times for appointments like primary care have plummeted. However, vacancies in specialties like pulmonology and orthopedics are still difficult to fill, and more and more communities are experiencing these kinds of shortages. Harder’s new VA COMPETES 2.0 Act expands on his law’s proven approach and allows the VA to issue an unlimited amount of waivers, ensuring even the toughest specialties to hire for are filled at every VA facility across the country. “We’re losing VA doctors to the private sector because of outrageous red tape, and our veterans are paying the price in months of delays for life-saving care,” said Rep. Harder . “That’s beyond unacceptable - it's why we passed a law last Congress to bring down primary care wait times, and why we’re continuing to fill the toughest specialties. I’m confident we’ll see this new bill get signed into law just as quickly because we have a responsibility to make sure veterans can get the care they need.” How Harder’s bills transform the VA health care system: Cuts wait times by filling vacant positions, from primary care to difficult-to-hire specialties. Improves care by ensuring the VA has the ability to hire the best and most talented doctors anywhere in the country. Increase transparency and accountability by requiring annual reports to Congress detailing which clinics made pay changes, how many employees were affected, and what adjustments were made. “When our veterans go to the VA, they deserve access to the best care possible,” said Rep. Wied . “In order for that to be the case, we need to ensure they have the best health care practitioners available to treat them. The VA Competes Act 2.0 will help the VA compete with the private sector, recruit and retain critical healthcare personnel, and ensure our veterans receive the high-quality care they have earned.” ### Issues : Veterans