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.
Updated
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
Veteran suicide hotline employees permitted to work remotely after concerns that in-office requirement would hurt service
One Veterans Crisis Line supervisor said the return to office mandate was creating confusion among staff, presented logistical challenges and could hurt recruitment.
Management
The VA is not waste, it’s a lifeline
COMMENTARY | “There’s a way to improve VA without hasty and indiscriminate cuts that will set us back and hinder our ability to provide compassionate care,” argues one VA staffer and former combat medic.
Workforce
Top Republican and Democrat plan competing bills to curb VA firings, protect veterans
Thousands of veterans have lost their jobs across federal agencies in sweeping cuts by the Trump administration, according to lawmakers.
Exclusive
Workforce
VA plans to lay off as many as 83,000 employees this year
A leaked memo released Tuesday called for VA to slash its workforce to 2019 levels that were in place before millions of veterans became newly eligible for care.
Workforce
Veterans Affairs axes another 1,400 probationary employees
The agency has now laid off 2,400 employees since Feb. 13.
Management
Senate confirms new VA secretary as Dems demand he protect employees from hiring freeze and firings
Doug Collins should also not cooperate with Elon Musk's cost-cutting team or allow any funding freezes to continue, top Democrat says.
Management
VA wants hiring freeze exemptions for 300,000 roles
The acting Veterans Affairs secretary said in a Jan. 21 memo that the requested exemptions cover positions critical to the delivery of health care services.
Management
VA secretary nominee rejects privatization but wants more employee firings
Doug Collins pledges to be a 'cheerleader' for good workers and an adversary for bad ones.
Updated
Workforce
VA employees ordered to pay back bonuses over misconduct now have an appeal process
The rulemaking is the result of a 2017 law intended to make it easier to remove poor-performing VA employees, but the Biden administration previously decided not to use it after legal decisions blunted the law’s authorities.
Management
Outgoing VA chief meets with Trump's 'very serious' transition team to discuss budget shortfall, other issues
Secretary Denis McDonough shares concerns about staffing with Trump's VA team, which is making dozens of requests for information during transition period.
Management
Award-winning VA leaders show the impact that federal employees can have serving the public
The presidential rank awards recognize outstanding senior government executives.
Tech
VA plans to restart EHR rollouts in mid-2026, despite viability concerns
VA Secretary Denis McDonough previously told Congress that the department was looking to end its pause on new deployments of the Oracle Cerner software in fiscal year 2025.
Pay & Benefits
VA omnibus bill including community care and pay waiver updates heading to Biden’s desk
A compendium of bills packaged into the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act features veteran educational assistance funding, community care improvements, increased funding for veteran homelessness providers and more.
Management
House Republicans set the stage for expanding private care for veterans
President-elect Trump could once again seek to shift veterans away from VA for health care and the top Republican on the issue just laid out a blueprint for doing so.
Management