Department of Veterans Affairs
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The VA is shortening the time it takes for student veterans to get the payments they need to attend school through the G.I. bill. Lawmakers still think the time is too long, however.
June 09, 2017 -
Dr. David Shulkin has either made a dramatic and long-overdue change, or he's stomped on a hornet's nest and unleashed furies that'll eat him alive.
June 06, 2017 -
In today's Federal Newscast, Reality Leigh Winner, an employee of Pluribus International Corporation, removed classified material from a government facility and gave it to an online news outlet, according to the Justice Department.
June 06, 2017 -
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced his intention to drop VistA and move the department to a commercial, off-the-shelf electronic health record.
June 05, 2017 -
The Veterans Affairs Department has director for human resources and administration. Long-time HR veteran Peter Shelby will oversee human resources, diversity and inclusion initiatives, labor-management relations, senior executive management, conflict-resolution and veterans employment.
June 05, 2017 -
While much of the recent attention has fallen on the president’s proposed budget, Congress has still been introducing and passing legislation. Here are a few bills worth knowing about that might have slipped through the cracks.
June 02, 2017 -
In today's Federal Newscast, the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general explains to Congress how the agency might have been taken for over a billion dollars.
June 01, 2017 -
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin delivered his diagnosis of the department in a "State of the VA" briefing before reporters Wednesday morning. He outlined 13 areas where the department needs to improve and the legislative and administrative fixes it needs in order to see progress.
May 31, 2017 -
The Veterans Affairs Department may get a big budget boost in fiscal 2018 under the president's proposal. Most of the additional funding will go toward health care, both in and outside the department. But the budget proposal does suggest cuts, and lawmakers said they're concerned by possible spending reductions to VA information technology and medical research.
May 24, 2017 -
In today's Federal Newscast, three federal agencies launch a new network to quickly relay information about individuals considered a threat to police officers.
May 22, 2017 -
The Government Accountability Office found that the Veterans Affairs Department doesn't have a very effective process for aligning facilities and capital investments. Debra Draper, director of health care issues at the GAO, shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
May 18, 2017 -
Both the Veterans Affairs and Justice departments believe they can easily resolve some concerns with the constitutionality of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection. DoJ is concerned, however, that VA will run into the same issues that ultimately rendered a controversial provision on firing senior executives unconstitutional.
May 18, 2017 -
Members of Congress are talking a lot about civil service reform these days. A bill introduced in the Senate, called the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, would put most managers under title 38, taking away some civil service protections. Bob Tobias, a professor in the Key Executive Leadership program at American University, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss the long view.
May 17, 2017 -
The Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, which senators introduced last week, may have more momentum than previous bills. It now has 12 co-sponsors, including four Democrats and VA Secretary David Shulkin himself. Yet some federal employee groups and experts question whether the new bill has the teeth to truly tackle long entrenched cultural problems at the department.
May 16, 2017 -
The Veterans Affairs Department will hold the second annual Brain Trust conference this week. The conference is devoted to the latest in treating head trauma and traumatic brain injury while bringing together people from the VA and several private sector organizations. Matt Collier, senior advisor to VA Secretary David Shulkin, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to provide further details.
May 16, 2017