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Vet agency chief calls onboarding times for new hires ‘indefensible’
Physicians can wait as long as a year to start working even after they've been hired, department officials acknowledged.
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Pentagon & Congress
Senate votes to repeal Iraq war authorizations
Some Iraq war veterans have rallied around the bipartisan vote to repeal the 2002 authorization as Congress seeks to reassert its war powers authorities.
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Vet Agency hopes for more state-run cemeteries for burial options
Nearly 17 million veterans live within 75 miles of a national or state cemetery they can choose for burial.
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Lawmakers move to save VA’s high-tech job training program
The VET TEC program is set to expire this year.
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This week in Congress: Top military leaders head to Capitol Hill
Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of March 27, 2023.
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VA leaders aren’t worried about looming budget fights ... yet
Lawmakers are skeptical of the White House's plan for $325 billion in department funding next year.
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VA change will lower home loan rates for some Native American vets
Changes to the VA Native American Direct Loan program would drop interest rates from 6% to 2.5% for some home purchases.
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Transgender troops warn GOP bill could upend lives, weaken military
Senior military leaders to face questioning on transgender, diversity issues.
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Dept. of Veterans Affairs, union spar over staffing
VA officials said hiring and retention levels are at record highs, but workers groups say even more staff is needed to keep up.
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Which college majors are student veterans pursuing and why?
Many of the veterans who pursue a four-year degree are choosing majors similar to non-veteran students.
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This week in Congress: SecDef defends the White House budget
Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of March 20, 2023.
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VA to change its motto, dropping male-only language
The new statement will note VA's goal is "to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.”
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VA plans to deploy new health records to more sites in June
The program has been delayed since last fall because of problems with software reliability and staff training.
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GOP senator blocks Biden nominee to force answers from VA
Sen. Chuck Grassley said he is upset with both VA leadership and the nominee to oversee department benefits operations.
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VA aims to help 38,000+ homeless veterans again this year
The department is repeating its goal from last year in 2023, with some additional benchmarks for outreach.
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Military transition classes are ‘falling short,’ lawmakers warn
Research shows most troops don't begin transition classes until they are in their final months of military service.
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Here’s what’s in the Corps’ new training and education plan
New ranges, tougher swimming. Inside the Corps' new training blueprint.
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Vets employment improves as national jobless rate worsens
The jobless rate among all veterans fell to 2.5% last month, according to federal estimates.
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