On April 27th, President Trump signed an Executive Order to create the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”).
According to the AP, VA Secretary David Shulkin said the office will help identify “barriers” that make it difficult for the department to fire or reassign bad employees. Another function of the office will be to help shield whistleblowers from retaliation.
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President Trump’s executive order calling for a freeze on hirings by the Federal government (military, security and public safety are exempt), has created serious concerns among Veterans seeking positions with the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”).
Furthermore, Trump plans to “dismantle Obamacare” could cause many privately-insured Veterans to seek relief from an already stressed VA. Quil Lawrence of National Public Radio (“NPR”) comments as follows:
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With the expected change in the administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), hope could well be on its way to provide more effective and timely treatment for the tens of thousands of Veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI.
Regardless of one’s political affiliation, the VA doesn’t seem to have a handle on treating Veterans with serious brain injury. One hopes that the “new” VA will be more open to alternative therapy provided in the private sector, rather than current ...
Continue Reading →Stand for The Troops (“SFTT”) has long been critical of the manner in which the Department of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”) treats Veterans with PTSD and TBI. Other critics have singled out long wait times for Veterans seeking treatment and other issues that have prompted Congressional inquiries.
Sadly, one can no longer discuss this issue dispassionately considering that many stakeholders and political candidates seem to be positioning themselves on one side of the debate or the other. With a $170 billion budget and ...
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