Management
Funding for further EHR deployments ‘vitally important,’ VA secretary says
VA Secretary Doug Collins said failing to modernize the agency’s electronic health record system “hurts our community care process because our doctors cannot communicate with the community [or] our doctors internally.”
Oversight
Trump watchdog nominees draw congressional scrutiny for political histories
Labor inspector general nominee and former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., praised President Donald Trump during his confirmation hearing, while Veterans Affairs IG nominee Cheryl Mason, who was a senior advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins, said she wasn’t involved in any decisions at the department.
Oversight
Watchdog says VA isn’t keeping close enough tabs on retention bonuses
While department officials blamed an overhaul to human resources processes for the errors, the inspector general noted that auditors have previously warned about similar issues.
Management
AI-driven contract cuts at VA spark concern
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said DOGE’s use of an AI tool resulted in the “wholesale slashing” of VA contracts.
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Workforce
VA signs $700K agreement with OPM for assistance with mass layoffs
The department lacks expertise for such a large reduction, it says, and RIF planners confirm VA leadership is not offering clear guidance.
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Workforce
Unions and advocacy groups protest veteran job cuts, warn of downstream impacts
The Trump administration is planning to cut around 15% of staff at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Pay & Benefits
Senator says VA is slow-footing benefits law, congresswoman wants a watchdog for Thrift Investment Board
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., has brought back legislation that would create an inspector general for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, while the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s ranking member argues the department is too slow in implementing legislation.
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Oversight
NDAs for VA employees working on staff reduction plans prompts House Dems probe
The use of non-disclosure agreements could "chill employees from disclosing violations of waste, fraud and abuse," top oversight Democrat says.
Pay & Benefits
VA moves survivors’ help office, again, to make it easier to get benefits
The department is seeking to reverse a 2021 decision by the Biden administration that placed the Office of Survivors Assistance under the Veterans Benefits Administration.
Workforce
Lawmakers raise bipartisan concerns over VA RIFs as secretary says he may alter plans
VA secretary says he could end up cutting fewer than the proposed 80,000 employees, but the final tally could be greater as well.
Workforce
VA tech panel’s top Democrat worries layoffs will harm EHR rollout
Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., is concerned that staffing vacancies, coupled with the department’s reduction in force plans, will put “more pressure onto the VA to execute on an expedited calendar for implementation” of its new EHR system.
Workforce
Despite return-to-office deadline, some VA employees may still work remotely because there's not enough workspace
Veterans Health Administration employees who live within 50 miles of federal office space must begin working fully in person by May 5 if they’re not already, but agency officials said there’ll be leniency if there’s not enough workspace.
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Workforce
VA forces staff in workforce reduction discussions to sign non-disclosure agreements
Senior leaders are contemplating which jobs to keep and which to slash in meetings, but telling staff they cannot discuss those topics.
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Workforce
VA is selectively enforcing Trump’s order stripping workers of union rights
VA Secretary Doug Collins this week issued a notice allowing employees at the department whose unions have not been involved with lawsuits against the Trump administration to retain their collective bargaining rights.
Management
New legislation aims to increase access to VA sexual trauma care
Congress has paid increased attention to sexual misconduct at the military academies following revelations about mishandled cases at the Coast Guard Academy.
Tech
Spending and workforce cuts will harm VA’s modernization work, Democrats say
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said cuts across VA are forcing the department “to decide between keeping staff on the floor, and investing in expensive equipment that may sit idle without enough personnel to operate it.”
Management
House Dems ‘extremely concerned’ VA workforce cuts will further hit researchers
Ten members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee are calling for VA Secretary Doug Collins to provide additional information about how term-limited researchers are being affected by workforce reduction efforts.
Pay & Benefits
Efforts to boost VA recruitment and promote BOP mental health get another push from House members
A pair of House bills seek to address personnel challenges within the Veterans Affairs Department and the Bureau of Prisons by offering new incentives and additional screenings, respectively.
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Management
VA blocks its benefits employees from speaking freely to the department’s lawyers
Attorneys at VA, who play a key role in helping veterans receive benefits, are the latest in the Trump administration to face potential sidelining.
Workforce