Workforce

A Disabled Veteran Has Waited 8 Years for a $1 Million Settlement From the Air Force

David P. Bighia had hoped to work at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio. Instead, he’s been fighting the Air Force as he faces home foreclosure.

Tech

A VA Official Has 'Deep Concerns' About the Agency's Electronic Health Record Deployment

But leadership at the agency pushed back against projected cost overruns and delays moving forward.

Oversight

New Fight Opens in Congress Over VA Policy that Sidesteps State Abortion Bans

Sharp GOP criticism of new abortion policy is expected to lead to court challenges

Management

VA to Offer Abortions in Limited Cases

In a policy reversal, the department is following the Dobbs decision by allowing VA doctors to terminate pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or that threaten the mother's life.

Workforce

VA Nurses Stage Demonstrations to Protest Understaffing

Employees are taking on more work than ever, causing burn out and high turnover. VA hopes new pay authorities will reverse that trend.

Workforce

A Union is Calling on the VA to Replace Its Chief Negotiator Following Trump-esque Bargaining Demands

Despite edicts from President Biden and VA Secretary Denis McDonough to establish more collaborative labor-management relations and empower labor groups, the department continues to push for a contract that closely mirrors the former president’s anti-union executive orders.

Tech

How the VA’s Adoption of Login.gov is Going

The agency is standing up in-person identity proofing to help veterans who struggle to go through the identity proofing process online because of a lack of connectivity or existing digital credentials.

Defense

VA Systems are Vulnerable to Cyber Intrusions Due to Lack of Effective Oversight, Report Says

The Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General's office said the agency is "leaving its systems vulnerable to compromise by impostors who may gain access to protected information."

Pay & Benefits

After a Long Delay, Congress Approves a Bill to Provide Care to More Vets, Grow VA Workforce and Establish New Facilities

The measure to spend nearly $6 billion on new workforce incentives, while authorizing 31 new facilities, now heads to President Biden for his signature.

Oversight

‘These People Don’t Care’: U.S. Senate GOP Stalls Bill for Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits

Bipartisan legislation would expand health care and benefits to 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic pits during deployments

Management

Medicinal Marijuana Research at Agencies Gets A Boost from Bipartisan Bill

The measure is likely to sail through the Senate and could give federal physicians more latitude in discussing medical cannabis with their patients.

Workforce

VA Touts Improvements But Warns of Challenges for Digital GI Bill Platform

The Veterans Benefits Administration is still relying on ‘many legacy IT systems” as part of its digital GI Bill platform, which officials said were causing challenges in keeping up with emerging technologies in congressional testimony on Wednesday.

Management

VA Vows to Modernize Its Health Care Network Even After Congress Moves to Defund Its Overhaul Plan

Secretary says the department will not start from scratch as it makes decisions on the future of its health care system, but instead will update data lawmakers criticized as flawed.

Management

VA Is 'Closely Watching' the Fate of Abortion Access as It Weighs Offering the Service

The leader of the largest hospital network in the country says he has the authority to change the department's policy.

Workforce

Disability Compensation May Improve Veterans’ Health

Eligibility for disability compensation is associated with substantial reductions in hospitalizations among Vietnam-era military veterans

Workforce

VA Has Disciplined 74 Employees Related to Its COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

One of the few agencies still enforcing the vaccine requirement has fired very few workers as a result.

Workforce

Lawmakers Look to Strip a Maligned Whistleblower Protection Office of Key Powers

Leaders insist the office is turning a corner, but lawmakers and advocates say its structure is fundamentally flawed and in need of reform.