Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is honoring U.S. veterans this year on Veterans Day, November 11, with a 30-second television ad.
Read the full storySenator Marsha Blackburn Honors U.S. Veterans on Veterans Day with New Ad
Tag: Department of Veterans Affairs
Walz Subjected Veterans, Teachers to Racially Segregated Programs as Minnesota Governor
Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz’s Department of Education and Department of Veterans Affairs held programs segregated by race and sexuality during his tenure as Minnesota governor.
Read the full storyMichigan Republicans Sue Whitmer and Benson over Voter Registration Agencies
Michigan’s governor, secretary of state and three other officials are facing a lawsuitfiled by the Trump campaign this week over granting some government offices the power to conduct voter registration.
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order in December meant to designate certain state offices, including the Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to act as voter registration agencies.
Read the full storyBiden Threatens Veto of Veteran Funding over Abortion, LGBT Provisions
U.S. House Republicans passed legislation Wednesday to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction, but a battle over abortion, sexuality and other issues may sink the bill.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 features $378.644 billion in spending.
Read the full storyFeds Have Showered Washington State with Tax Dollars to Fix Homelessness, but It Keeps Getting Worse
A plethora of federal agencies have spent well over $200 million attempting to alleviate homelessness in Washington state over the past 17 years, only for the number of people living on the streets to keep rising.
Federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS), among others, have spent hundreds of millions of dollars since 2007 on grants to third parties intended to mitigate homelessness in Washington, federal spending data shows. Despite the nine-figure sum of taxpayer dollars spent, the number of homeless people in Washington grew by about 20% between 2007 and 2023, according to a report produced by HUD.
Read the full storyStates File Brief in Lawsuit to Force VA to Cover Gender Affirming Surgery
A group of states filed a friend of the court brief supporting a transgender veterans group that filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeking gender-confirmation surgery for 163,000 transgender veterans.
The Transgender American Veterans Association lawsuit, filed last month, seeks an order that the Department of Veterans Affairs act on the group’s 2016 rule-making petition for gender-confirmation surgery.
Read the full storyDespite Backlog of Veterans’ Claims, VA Using Resources to Help Illegal Immigrants
With hundreds of thousands of veterans’ healthcare claims on backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), top Republicans in the House and Senate are hoping to prevent VA resources from being used to process claims for medical care of illegal immigrants.
According to a July report from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency contracts with the VA to process medical claims reimbursements involving illegal immigrants even though they did not serve in the U.S. military. Medical professionals treat illegal immigrants detained by ICE on site, but when specialized or emergency care is required, they are transported to private providers, according to Fox News. The arrangement between ICE and the VA was outlined in a 2020 memo during the Trump administration, Fox News reported.
Read the full storyDespite Backlog of Claims, Department of Veterans Affairs Using Resources to Help Illegal Immigrants
At a press conference on immigration reform earlier this month, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., criticized President Biden for putting the needs of illegal immigrants over those of America’s veterans. “Veterans have a hard enough time getting the care that they need and now they have to compete with illegal immigrants? This will not fix the border crisis. Biden’s border crisis puts illegal immigrants first, it puts our veterans last,” Daines said.
Read the full storyRep. Chuck Fleischmann Helps Secure Expansion of Chattanooga National Cemetery
Tennessee U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) recently announced his work with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in helping secure an expansion of the Chattanooga National Cemetery.
Read the full storyTennessee Representative Commends VA Grant Funds Awarded to Expand and Improve Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery
U.S. Tennessee Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) applauded the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) recent distribution of grant funds to go towards the expansion and improvement of Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Nashville.
Read the full storyThe Biden Administration’s Record of Caring for Veterans Raises Alarm
Early in the debt ceiling crisis, the Biden administration tried to scare veterans into believing Republicans might cut their benefits, which did not happen. But the administration’s own treatment of the nation’s warriors suffers from glaring failures ranging from lax security to benefits delayed by unwarranted tests.
The failures were laid bare in a series of reports and memos made public by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ internal watchdog, the Office of Inspector General, shortly before Memorial Day and reviewed by Just the News.
Read the full storyVA Error Leaves Potentially Thousands of Student Veterans Without Rent Payments
Thousands of student veterans will have their housing stipends delayed past April 1 after an error in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) processing system for GI Bill benefits blocked payments, Military Times reported.
Millions of dollars in housing stipends for U.S. military veterans and their dependents expected to receive Friday will instead take several days to transmit and may not arrive until April 3, VA officials said late Thursday, according to Military Times. Officials did not explain what caused the error, which could cause financial problems for individuals dependent on VA compensation to make rent payments that are typically due on the first of the month.
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Files Amicus Brief Against the Department of Veterans Affairs New Abortion Rule
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the Western District of Texas in the case of Carter v. McDonough.
Read the full storySenator Ron Johnson Calls for Improved Care of Veterans from the Department of Veterans Affairs
Senator Ron Johnson and other colleagues issued a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis R. McDonough over concerns about access to health care for veterans across the country.
According to the letter from the group, the federal agency has subjected veterans to long waiting periods and is not following guidance from federal statute.
Read the full storyArizona Man Sentenced to Probation for Scheme That Stole from Veterans
An Arizona man was sentenced to probation for his role in a scheme that stole from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Dennis Gene Godbolt, from Buckeye, will serve five years supervised probation and will be forced to pay $95,000 in restitution for his efforts, based on a ruling from Senior U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell.
Read the full storyTennessee Republicans Fight for Expanded Burial Access for Veterans
Republican members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs and demanded a solution to the lack of burial access for veterans.
According to the lawmakers, only two of Tennessee’s five national veterans cemeteries have burial space available, which could be filled quickly.
Read the full storyVeterans Affairs Department Botches Drug Return Program, Resulting in $14.6 Million in Losses
This week’s Golden Horseshoe is awarded to the Department of Veterans Affairs for its botched oversight of a drug-return program that has resulted in $14.6 million in taxpayer losses, according to the agency watchdog.
A recently released audit by the VA’s Office of Inspector General found the agency mismanaged the program and did not communicate with medical facility pharmacy chiefs to ensure the program’s protocols were followed.
Read the full storyHouse Passes Bill to Study Potential Universal Healthcare in Virginia
The House of Delegates voted 55 to 45 on Thursday to initiate a study of how to fund a potential universal healthcare program in Virginia. HB2271 says the study should examine both a publicly-funded model administered by the Commonwealth and a publicly-funded model administered by a private entity. The report would be due in October 2022.
Read the full storyWarner Coauthored Part of Bipartisan Veterans Mental Health Bill
In October, President Trump signed a bipartisan bill aimed at improving mental health among veterans, according to Congress.gov. The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 included an initiative co-written by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Senator John Boozman (R-AR).
Read the full storyStates Dole Out Millions for Illegal Aliens While Veterans Struggle: Study
Many states and the federal government are spending millions in taxpayer dollars on illegal aliens while veterans across the country still face a slew of issues like homelessness and long waits for primary care, a newly-released study found.
Read the full storyRep. Green Seeks Assistance for Veterans Exposed to Toxins During Deployment to Uzbekistan
U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Thursday helped introduce a bipartisan resolution directing the Secretary of Defense to assess the toxic exposure of American military service members deployed to Karshi Khanabad Air Base (K2) in Uzbekistan.
Read the full storyVA Lifts Ban on Bibles in Move to Support Religious Freedom
As a kid, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie recalls, he visited a VA hospital at Christmastime.
Read the full storySens. Blackburn, Tester Work to Keep VA on Target in $16B Electronic Health Record Modernization
U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Jon Tester (D-MT) are fighting to keep the VA on target and transparent on its roll-out of the new $16 billion commercial electronic health record system for 9 million veterans. Blackburn and Tester introduced the VA Electronic Health Record Advisory Committee Act to establish a third-party oversight committee to monitor the implementation of the record system, Blackburn said in a press release Tuesday. The VA is undertaking a decade-long transition to bring veterans’ health records into the 21st century by ensuring that they can have access to a seamless electronic health record across the VA and Department of Defense health systems. https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/EHR-ACT.pdf “A crucial part of giving our veterans better care is improving the way DOD and the VA organize their health records,” Blackburn said. “The EHR Advisory Committee will be entirely devoted to ensuring the implementation and transition is done as smoothly as possible. Comprised of professionals who have experience in the health care field, as well as veterans currently receiving care at the VA, this committee will have the knowledge and expertise to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the VA’s services.” Tester said, “The new electronic health record system is too…
Read the full storyDemocrats See Another Opportunity for Outrage with VA Chief Nomination
by Printus LeBlanc Every week the progressives and their media propaganda distributors gin up another fabricated scandal. This week it is the children on the southern border to distract from the DOJ IG report. It looks like the next attack will come aimed at President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the often-troubled Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Make no mistake about it, Robert Wilkie is eminently qualified to be the next head of the VA, and any obstacle is nothing more than obstruction of President Trump and the protection of government union dues. Robert Wilkie has been the acting VA Secretary for the last eight weeks. He has done such a good job the President decided to nominate Wilkie to permanently fill the seat on May 18. The next hurdle to clear will be the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs vote followed by the full Senate vote. Once the hearings start, it is expected the typical obstruction will take place. The left will call Mr. Wilkie every name in the book with no proof to back anything up, and the mainstream media will carry the water for the progressives because that is what they do. However, they don’t know Robert…
Read the full storyFederal Civil Service Abuses Bigger Than Just the Department of Veterans Affairs
By Natalia Castro When news broke of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) putting the lives of veterans at risk with waiting lists to die, the country was outraged. When it became clear that these employees were not being terminated for their failures and mismanagement, Florida Senator Marco Rubio led bipartisan legislation that protected whistleblowers and provided management the authority to remove bad employees. Unfortunately, the VA is not the only department allowing bad employees to stay on the job despite grotesque violations of employee guidelines and even the law. Here we highlight some of the worst stories of civil service abuse in recent years and how they have been allowed to occur. Department of Veterans Affairs Some stories of abuse are obvious, like the Washington Times of April 2016 which reported on two senior VA officials who were responsible for the death of nearly 300 veterans on waiting lists, yet took over two years to even be proposed to be terminated. But as Senator Rubio argued in a May 2017 press release, this large-scale abuse flourished because of a culture of mismanagement. Rubio explained, “To list just a few examples, one VA employee was arrested and spent time in jail…
Read the full storyTrump to Nominate Wilkie to Head Department of Veterans Affairs
Reuters President Donald Trump said on Friday he will nominate Robert Wilkie to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, replacing David Shulkin, who was pushed out amid alleged ethics problems. Wilkie, 55, has been acting secretary of the department since Trump fired Shulkin in March over concerns about unauthorized travel expenses. The Republican president’s first choice to replace Shulkin, Trump’s physician Ronny Jackson, withdrew from consideration last month after allegations that he had been lax with prescription drugs and drank alcohol on the job. Jackson denied the allegations but faced questions in the Senate confirmation process over whether he had enough experience for the job. Wilkie successfully went through the Senate confirmation process last year after Trump nominated him to be undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. The veterans agency has long been criticized for the quality of care it provides and the red tape that veterans encounter. VOA News
Read the full storyInspector General Finds VA Clinic Failed in Treatment of Troubled Navy Veteran Before Suicide
A government watchdog has found that a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in New Jersey repeatedly failed to provide mental health care for a Gulf War veteran in the months before he committed suicide by setting himself on fire in front of the clinic. The VA clinic in Northfield, New Jersey, canceled a counseling appointment for…
Read the full storyVIDEO: President Trump Signs the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017
In another promise fulfilled, President Trump signed the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 Friday.
Read the full storyVA Chief Says Senate Must Act So He Can Fire ‘Terrible Managers’
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday the civil service appeals process prevents the agency from firing “terrible managers,” and that the Senate must act to reduce the impact of the Merit Systems Protection Board and excessive government employee union-backed due process requirements. “Just last week we were forced to take back an employee…
Read the full storyTrump Fired a Corrupt VA Official. Then the VA Stepped in and Said Not So Fast.
A notoriously corrupt Department of Veterans Affairs manager fired the first day of President Donald Trump’s presidency—to rousing acclaim from veterans who heralded it as a sign of lasting reform—has been returned to work by VA officials after he filed a civil-service protections appeal. The return of the Puerto Rico hospital director is the latest example…
Read the full storyDepartment of Veterans Affairs Asks For Meeting With Whistleblowers To Find Out How They Face Retaliation
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to whistleblowers for a meeting on the challenges they’ve faced when exposing wrongdoing at their facilities, following the establishment of an office to protect whistleblowers. Whistleblowers Kuauhtemoc Rodriguez from the Phoenix VA and Sean Higgins from the Memphis VA have been contacted by the Central Whistleblower Office…
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