Here are five things to know about the policy updates’ impact on the VA healthcare system:
1. On Jan. 27, the VA said workers who focused solely on DEI are now on paid administrative leave. The department is also working to cancel contracts for DEI-related training sessions, materials and other consulting services.
2. “Under President Trump, VA is laser-focused on providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors,” the department’s media affairs director said in a news release. “We are proud to have abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission. We look forward to reallocating the millions of dollars the department was spending on DEI programs and personnel to better serve the men and women who have bravely served our nation.”
3. The approximately 60 employees are, collectively, paid annual salaries totaling above $8 million. The DEI-related contracts cost about $6.1 million, according to the release.
4. On the day of his inauguration, Mr. Trump signed executive orders to rescind federal DEI initiatives and implement a hiring freeze for some government positions.
5. The freeze does not apply to 304,279 VA positions, including 94,423 for nurses and thousands for physicians, nursing assistants and pharmacists. The Veterans Health Administration employs more than 370,000 people.
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