‘Profound alarm’: US veterans agency roiled by fight over anti-discrimination provisions

<p>Nearly 100 lawmakers claim the agency’s recent actions put veterans’ healthcare at risk. Department of Veterans Affairs chief says ‘no one is being discriminated against at VA’</p><p>The US Department of Veterans Affairs has enthusiastically joined Donald Trump’s war on DEI – demanding that staffers <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/01/22/veterans-affairs-dei-trump/77888886007/">report colleagues</a> who engage in diversity initiatives, <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2025/02/13/lgbtq-pride-flags-banned-at-va-facilities-under-new-policy/">banning</a> LGBTQ+ pride flags from VA hospitals and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/veterans-affairs-trump-disparities-benefits-office-equity-assurance">shuttering</a> an office investigating why Black veterans are more likely to have their mental health disability claims rejected.</p><p>Last week, VA secretary Doug Collins <a href="https://x.com/SecVetAffairs/status/1942652267431133371">tweeted</a> that “VA is now squarely focused on Veterans – not out-of-touch, woke causes such as DEI and gender dysphoria treatments.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/veterans-affairs-agency-anti-discrimination-protections">Continue reading...</a>