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Washington, D.C.—The leader of nation’s largest independent union of federal employees today called for swift congressional approval of a measure which would provide disabled veterans newly-hired by the federal government with immediate access to sick leave.

In a letter to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) pledged the union’s efforts for prompt passage of H.R. 5229, the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act. The bill is scheduled for markup tomorrow by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“This legislation will provide newly-hired disabled veterans with access to immediate sick leave to ensure the medical care these individuals need for the ongoing treatment of their service-connected conditions,” President Kelley wrote to Rep. Lynch.

She added: “The federal government is a proud employer of our nation’s veterans—with NTEU long championing agencies making use of hiring processes that retain veterans’ preferences. Your bill will assure that these men and women continue to receive the care and attention they deserve once they are in the door.”

In additional to saluting Rep. Lynch’s “steadfast leadership on behalf of all federal employees,” the NTEU leader also extended the union’s appreciation to Oversight and Government Reform Federal Employee Subcommittee Chairman Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.), Full Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), and Reps. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) for their bipartisan support of the measure.

She said the legislation “will serve to enhance the federal government as an employer.”

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.