Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Law Intended To Get Rid Of Bad Apples At VA Overwhelmingly Being Used Against Rank-And-File Employees
Since the legislation took effect, the VA has fired only four senior leaders. The other 1,700 terminated people were low-level staffers with titles such as housekeeper.
ProPublica/Politico: Trump’s VA Is Purging Civil Servants
Last June, President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by signing a bipartisan bill to make it easier to fire employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The law, a rare rollback of the federal government’s strict civil-service job protections, was intended as a much-needed fix for an organization widely perceived as broken. “VA accountability is essential to making sure that our veterans are treated with the respect they have so richly earned through their blood, sweat and tears,” Trump said that day. “Those entrusted with the sacred duty of serving our veterans will be held accountable for the care they provide.” (Arnsdorf, 3/12)
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