Yes, this is likely to fail, but one of the powers the minority has in a legislature is to introduce bills like this to remind people what the majority could have been doing
With republicans narrow majorities, it only takes a handful of defections to get things through. Doing stuff like this helps make more republicans squeamish and can help get those flips
How about reinstating all of the employees, since they were fired illegally?
Maybe this has a 1% chance of passing instead of a 0% chance for “all,” but democrats should stop building policy around republicans’ expectations. This watered-down crap does nothing in the end.
Since it’s unlikely to pass, the real value is in getting Republicans’ names attached to a “no” vote. Then Democrats can campaign to red areas and show how anti-veteran the Republicans have been this session, which plays a lot better in those areas than an “all” bill that doesn’t mention veterans.
But can Dems even force a vote on it?
Nope, but that in and of itself can be something they can campaign on; albeit for a much smaller group of reps.
This is what Democrats do; after republicans tear things down dems leave people behind in an attempt to compromise. In response to the anti trans rhetoric the dems abandoned them and thought it would win them the election. Now they abandon swaths of federal workers to likely fail at saving a few of them. Democrats will leave everyone but billionaires behind if the moment is right for it.