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The Department of Veterans Affairs has clawed back billions of dollars that countless veterans were given as incentives to leave the military, including when it needed to downsize, according to new data obtained by NBC News. Disabled veterans have been told in the last 12 fiscal years to return nearly $3 billion in special separation pay — lump-sum incentives that were offered when the U.S. had to reduce its active-duty force or release slightly injured service members, the data shows. The justification of the recoupment rule carried over in the 1990s when other forms of special separation payments — unrelated to disabilities — were authorized. Those payments, including the Special Separation Benefit (SSB), were designed instead to help the Defense Department manage its force size. He was told to pay back the money in 2017 after he filed for VA disability for PTSD and other conditions.

Persons: ”, Damon Bird, “, ” Salahudin Majeed, Bird, Salahudin Majeed, ” Majeed, ‘, ’ ” Majeed, —, ” Marquis Barefield, Marquis Barefield, ” Barefield, John Colage, Terrence Hayes, Hayes, Colage, ” Colage, Domenick Fini, Denis McDonough’s, Majeed, recoupment, Ruben Gallego, Gallego Organizations: of Veterans Affairs, NBC News, Disabled, NBC, Army, ” Army, Congressional Research Service, Defense Department, DAV, American Veterans, ” Navy, U.S ., Appeals, Veterans, Veterans ’ Appeals, RAND Corporation Locations: U.S, —, Haslet , Texas, USS Iowa, Missouri, Texas, Iraq

Following decades of grievances, the federal government on Thursday changed a policy that disqualified some disabled veterans from receiving subsidized housing. Advocates hope a new federal policy will help more disabled homeless veterans get off the streets. A homeless veterans encampment in Los Angeles in 2021. “No matter where veterans are, if we have homeless veterans, we are committed to them,” he said. About 1,834 homeless veterans were counted in Los Angeles this year, compared with 2,696 last year.

Persons: Al Seib, Denis McDonough, Francine Orr, Karen Bass, George Rose, ”, Mark Rosenbaum, Rosenbaum, Terrence Hayes, Hayes Organizations: of Housing, Urban, Veterans, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Veterans Administration, “ Veterans, American Civil Liberties Union of Southern, Los, Los Angeles, HUD Locations: Al, Los Angeles, ”, Westwood, Brentwood, American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, “, Los Angeles County, U.S

☆ Biden and Trump are vying for the veteran vote in the 2024 race. Here's how their policies on veteran affairs stack up.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Thomas Novelly | Rebecca Kheel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Biden shepherded through the PACT Act , which has been described as the biggest expansion of veterans benefits in a generation. "Someone who may have had a rare cancer that was benefited by the PACT Act, that's the most important thing to them. President Joe Biden delivers a speech about the PACT Act at the Westwood Park YMCA in Nashua, New Hampshire. After Jackson's bid ended, Robert Wilkie, who had been working at the Pentagon, was nominated and confirmed as VA secretary. Denis McDonough, who was Obama's chief of staff, has served as VA secretary since the beginning of the Biden administration.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, Patrick Murray, Military.com, John Tully, Joe Parsetich, Barack Obama, Cheriss, VFW's Murray, Donald J, Veterans Affairs David Shulkin, Michael Reynolds, Trump's, David Shulkin, Obama, Shulkin, Ronny Jackson, Jackson, Jackson's, Robert Wilkie, Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, Chip Somodevilla, Denis McDonough, Donald Remy, Tanya Bradsher, McDonough Organizations: Service, Business, Department of Veterans Affairs, Biden shepherded, Veterans, Foreign, PACT, American, Westwood, Getty, Disabled American Veterans, White, Biden, US, Veterans Affairs, Wimbledon, Shulkin, White House, Pentagon, Trump, Cross Locations: France, Nashua , New Hampshire, Rose, Trump's, Europe, Texas

☆ Senators blast Biden administration’s staffing plans for veterans’ healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Curt Devine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The top two senators on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs called the Biden administration’s plan to reduce veterans’ health care staffing a “mess” that could undercut the timing and quality of care. Their letter, obtained by CNN, called VA’s apparent “zero growth” policy a “drastic” and “shortsighted” decision. Though the VA told the committee that critical staff and some others would be exempt, Tester and Moran wrote that has not been the case. The VA has long been plagued by delays in health care. A decade ago, the Obama administration’s then-VA secretary, Eric Shinseki, resigned following revelations of sometimes deadly delays for veterans waiting for care at VA facilities.

Persons: Biden, Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, Sen, Jon Tester, Jerry Moran, Moran, “, …, Shereef Elnahal, Dr, Jason Crow, Helen H, Richardson, ” Elnahal, ”, Terrence Hayes, ” Hayes, McDonough, Joe Biden, Obama administration’s, Eric Shinseki Organizations: CNN, Veterans ’ Affairs, Veterans Affairs, Montana Democrat, Kansas Republican, VA, Health, U.S . Department of Veterans Affairs, Wheeling, Denver Post, PACT Locations: Montana, Kansas, ”, VA, Wheeling St, Aurora , Colorado

A group of transgender veterans filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to force the Department of Veteran Affairs to begin providing and paying for gender-affirming surgeries. A spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs said it does not comment on ongoing litigation. But he pointed to 2021 statements from Veteran Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, who said the VA was beginning a years long rulemaking process that would result in providing gender-affirming surgeries. McDonough said the VA would use the time to “develop capacity to meet the surgical needs” of transgender veterans. Natalie Kastner, a 39-year-old disabled veteran from Texas, said she went to the VA in 2022 seeking surgery.

Persons: Rebekka Eshler, Denis McDonough, McDonough, “, ” Eshler, Natalie Kastner, ” Organizations: Department of Veteran Affairs, Transgender American Veterans Association, United States, Appeals, Federal Circuit, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veteran Locations: Washington, Texas

☆ GOP lawmakers call for VA to slash reliance on China for medical supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —A pair of Republicans leading powerful House committees are calling for the Department of Veterans Affairs to speed up efforts to decrease the agency’s reliance on China for medical supplies, CNN has learned. The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare a dangerous vulnerability in America’s medical supply chains that resulted in shortages of masks, respirators and other life-saving gear. “The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the national security and public health risks of failing to guarantee adequate medical supplies. As the biggest buyer of medical supplies among federal agencies, it has considerable influence. Congress has attempted to take steps to boost the resilience of the nation’s medical supply chain by easing dependence on goods from less friendly nations like China.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, Mike Bost, Denis McDonough, Bost, Gallagher, “, ” Terrence Hayes, Joe Biden, Health Richard Stone, ” Bost, McDonough, Democratic Sen, Tom Carper, Republican Sen, Thom Tillis, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Department of Veterans Affairs, CNN, Veterans ’, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Department of Veteran Affairs, Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health, Human Services, Republicans, Health, World Trade Organization, Congress, Democratic, Republican Locations: New York, China, United States, America, Covid, Mexico, Malaysia

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will be in Arizona to talk about power grid and clean energy investment in the rural Southwest. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough plans to visit Iowa to discuss improving access to medical care for veterans in rural areas. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will be in North Carolina talking about health care access in rural areas. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su will be in Pennsylvania to discuss boosting employment opportunities in rural areas. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will head to Indiana to discuss how international trade can benefit rural farmers and producers.

Persons: Joe Biden, Dean Phillips of, Biden, Phillips, Tom Vilsack, White, Vilsack, Deb Haaland, Jennifer Granholm, Denis McDonough, Isabel Guzman, Miguel Cardona, Xavier Becerra, Julie Su, Katherine Tai Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic Rep, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Administration, White, Smart Commodities, Agriculture Department, Farmers of, Energy, Southwest . Veterans, Small Business Administration, Education, Human Services, Labor, U.S . Trade Locations: Minnesota, America, Indiana, Farmers of America, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southwest, Iowa, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, U.S

☆ America's largest office tenant is embracing remote work, creating more pain for a market already in distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The federal government is embracing remote work and cutting back its office footprint nationally. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump might not appear to agree on much, but when it comes to cutting back on office space, they're aligned. Now federal tenants are in for a new phase of belt-tightening as more accept remote and hybrid work, real estate experts say. "The majority of federal offices are still largely vacant on most days," said Darian LeBlanc, the director of government services at Cushman & Wakefield. So far, only the Department of Veterans Affairs has publicly said how it plans to use remote and hybrid work.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Biden —, Darian LeBlanc, LeBlanc, Rachel Davis, Davis, — Davis, Bob Hunt, Martin Selig, Jesse Lawder, Selig, Shalanda Young, Denis McDonough, Cushman, JBG Smith, Christi, who's Organizations: —, Trump, Cushman &, Washington DC, General Services Administration, Department of Labor, Management, FBI, Securities and Exchange Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Transportation Safety, L'Enfant Plaza, state's Department of General Services, National Association of State Locations: Cushman & Wakefield, United States, JLL, Seattle, Washington, L'Enfant, . Tennessee, Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Branscom, California , Illinois, North Carolina, Florida

☆ VA Pauses Rollout of $16 Billion Health Record System
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough says he believes a contract should have marked accountability. The Department of Veterans Affairs is holding up further rollout of a problem-plagued, multibillion-dollar electronic health record system as the contract is renegotiated. Officials from the VA and Oracle Corp., which last year acquired the company that developed the system, are in discussions about changes in the contract designed to provide the VA with a record system.

☆ Ron Klain Exits the White House Stage Left
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Karl Rove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chief of staff Ron Klain is leaving the White House after President Joe Biden’s Feb. 7 State of the Union address. Much of the coverage frames his as a victorious exit, saying Mr. Klain departs with Mr. Biden having regained momentum after Democrats escaped a midterm shellacking. Other recent chiefs have served longer than Mr. Klain’s 25 months. Denis McDonough served four years for Barack Obama , and Andrew Card worked five years and three months for George W. Bush . Still, Mr. Klain has been a consequential chief in important respects.

☆ VA says it exceeded goal for housing homeless veterans last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Aaron Gilchrist | Aaron Gilchrist Is An Anchor For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday that it surpassed its 2022 goals for housing veterans experiencing homelessness. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough set a goal of housing 38,000 veterans by the end of last year. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has decreased by 11% since January 2020 and by more than 55% since 2010, according to the VA. The method prioritizes getting veterans into housing, then providing support services, including health care and job training, as well as any needed mental health or substance dependency interventions to help veterans stay in housing. Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness can call the National Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).

☆ Starting Tuesday, all U.S. military veterans in suicidal crisis will be eligible for free care at any VA or private facility
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Beginning Tuesday, U.S. military veterans who find themselves in suicidal crisis will be eligible for free emergency medical care at any Department of Veterans Affairs facility or any private facility. Unlike for most other medical benefits, veterans do not have to be enrolled in the VA system to be eligible. The VA already provides emergency suicide care, but with the new benefit, veterans will not have to pay any copays or fees for their care. If the veterans receive care at a private facility rather than at a VA facility, the government will cover the costs. “Veterans in suicidal crisis can now receive the free, world-class emergency health care they deserve — no matter where they need it, when they need it, or whether they’re enrolled in VA care,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement.

☆ Department of Veterans Affairs sued over decision to offer abortion counseling and certain abortions to veterans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Texas sued the department Tuesday over its decision to offer abortions services in certain cases and abortion counseling to veterans, claiming the new rules violate her religious beliefs. Though the lawsuit is reportedly one of the first challenges to the new rule, it is not seeking to block the department from enforcing the policy nationwide. Instead, it asks the court to rule that the policy is illegal and unconstitutional and block the department from enforcing the policy at the facility in Temple. The state additionally has a civil enforcement law – authorizing private citizens to bring lawsuits against alleged violators in state court – for abortions performed after around six weeks into the pregnancy. These services are also offered to Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiaries.

☆ VA performs its first abortion weeks after saying it would in certain cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the department's under secretary for health, said the VA came to its decision after listening to health care providers and veterans. "Offering this care will save veterans’ health and lives, and there is nothing more important than that," Elnahal said in a statement. In addition to abortions, the VA will also provide abortion counseling. The VA said its health care providers will be able to provide authorized services regardless of state restrictions. Decisions about if a pregnant person’s "life or health" are endangered will be made on a case-by-case basis by VA health care providers in consultation with patients.

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed legislation Tuesday to expand lifesaving health care benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. Many of the veterans who had camped on the Senate steps, braving heat, humidity and thunderstorms, watched the vote from the gallery in the Senate chamber. First Class Heath Robinson, before the Senate vote Tuesday on the PACT Act outside the Capitol. “For the millions of veterans who may have been exposed to harmful toxins, this bill means quicker access to health care services and other benefits. Democrats and veterans argued, however, that many Republicans were voting against the bill in retaliation for the massive deal on climate change, health care and taxes that Democrats had just crafted.

While they were in Kandahar, Burch and her fellow service members were exposed to “burn pits, incinerators and poo ponds,” she said. The veterans camped out on the steps outside the Senate all weekend, braving the heat, the humidity and occasional thunderstorms and sleeping on the hard concrete stairs. At times, lawmakers and officials, including Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, joined the protesters to urge the Senate to pass the PACT Act. “As far as I can see, it passed 84 to 14, and then 25 Republicans switched their vote. “Switched it without an explanation, switched it without pointing to the bill and saying what was inserted.

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