Veterans

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.

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.

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. 

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.

As Trump names VA pick, firing and privatization come back into the spotlight

Trump's choice is already highlighting some of the most controversial VA priorities from the president-elect's first term.

Veterans’ military skills can help them fill cyber vacancies, State official says

The White House’s national cybersecurity strategy said that greater veteran participation in the U.S. cyber workforce can help enhance critical digital defenses.

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10 congressional races for federal employees to watch

Many of the competitive House and Senate races involve lawmakers who oversee federal agency funding.

VA breaks records for veterans served despite slowing hiring

VA is now seeking a budget boost to meet staffing needs and veterans demands for fiscal 2025.

VA’s head of AI sees his role as a ‘bridge’ to future use

Meet the Department of Veterans Affairs CAIO Charles Worthington. He envisions a future where AI components are built into standard technology and software.

VA is updating its AI suicide risk model to reach more women

The department is looking to add military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence as risk factors for suicide in its predictive model for identifying veterans at high risk of self-harm.

Legislation calls for creation of an independent office to improve the VA

Rep. Rudy Yakym’s, R-Ind., National Veterans’ Advocate Act, would transform the department’s Office of Patient Advocacy into a standalone body similar to the IRS’ Office of the National Taxpayer Advocate.

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VA whistleblowers honored for uncovering mismanagement of veterans’ personal information

Despite receiving OSC’s Public Servant award, the whistleblowers disagreed with investigators’ conclusions that they could not substantiate all of their accusations regarding the department’s alleged inappropriate use of personally identifiable information.

Inside VA’s drive to offer rideshare services to vets

Since its launch in January 2022, the Veterans Health Administration’s rideshare program for veterans in need of medical-related transportation has provided more than 438,000 rides.

VA proposes grant program offering vets legal services to help obtain benefits

The department’s goal is to assist former service members who were discharged under other than honorable conditions but could still be eligible for VA benefits.

Amid hiring surge, two VA agencies face employee background check deficiencies

The inspector general warned that shortcomings in the agencies’ background check programs were letting in unvetted staff.

VA officials say they can finish the digital GI Bill platform without more delays, cost overruns

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.,​​ said the Department of Veterans Affairs is “batting zero” when it comes to finishing major IT modernization projects on time and within budget.