Workforce
VA Whistleblowers Tell Congress Retaliation Is Still Rampant
One VA employee received a proposed firing notice just one day prior to testifying.
Workforce
How Well Do VA’s Regional Offices Perform? VA Doesn’t Really Know.
The department has 1,000 employees to oversee medical centers, but their roles have never been clearly defined and performance is not clearly measured, auditors say.
Defense
For Soldiers, Risk of Suicide Linked With Firearm Ownership
Clinicians advise that soldiers at risk for suicide spend less time close to guns.
Defense
ICE Doesn't Know How Many Non-Citizen Military Veterans It Has Deported
Poor data on those living here or overseas means many are denied benefits, GAO found.
Management
Trump’s VA Firing Spree Falters in Court
Rather than defend a law that the president loves, the VA will reinstate a hospital director whom it twice tried to fire.
Oversight
New Whistleblower Protection Office Is Under Investigation for Retaliating Against Whistleblowers
"You don’t want to come forward," one whistleblower said. "People are afraid."
Management
How Ex-Congressman Jeff Miller Is Single-Handedly Shaping The Push To Privatize VA Health Care
Behind Miller’s growing lobbying portfolio lies one of the biggest unexamined shifts in Washington’s influence game.
Management
‘Quality Review’ Isn’t Fixing Veterans’ Claims System
Public reports have understated due process mistakes and legal errors in the veterans' appeals process, research finds.
Oversight
VA’s Private Care Program Headed for Tech Trouble, Review Finds
“These people are out of their minds,” one VA doctor said.
Management
Trump Mar-a-Lago Buddy Wrote Policy Pitch. The President Sent It to VA Chief.
A handwritten note to Trump, addressed “Dear King,” presents another instance of access and influence for Mar-a-Lago associates.
Management
The VA Is Paying for a Top Official’s Cross-Country Commute
Darin Selnick, the architect of the Trump administration’s controversial new policies on private health care for veterans, traveled to Washington from his home in California twice a month at taxpayer expense.
Management
With Private Care Push, Trump’s VA Bucks Lawmakers and Some Veterans Groups
The administration proposed new rules on paying for more veterans to see private doctors, but the lack of details makes the fiscal impact unclear.
Management
Trump Administration Issues Guidelines to 'Revolutionize' Private Sector Role in Veterans Health Care
Critics warn the plan could cause the cost of privatized care to skyrocket.
Management
The VA’s Private Care Program Gave Companies Billions and Vets Longer Waits
Trump wants to supersize a program that spent almost a quarter of its funds on overhead.
Oversight
Trump Administration Defends Legality of VA Shadow Rulers
In a court filing, government lawyers argued that a Watergate-era sunshine law doesn’t apply to three Trump associates influencing the VA from Mar-a-Lago.
Management