Veterans Affairs

Surprise! Trump Nominates Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie To Fill Role Permanently

9:58pm May 18, 2018

by Quil Lawrence

Following the disastrous nomination of the president's last pick, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, veterans groups say they hope the embattled agency can finally get back on track.

White House doctor and Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson meets with Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in his office on Capitol Hill o April 16.

White House: VA Nominee 'Deserves A Fair Hearing' As Senators Weigh Allegations

2:33pm April 25, 2018

by Scott Horsley

The president met Tuesday with Navy Rear Adm. Dr. Ronny Jackson, a White House official confirmed to NPR. The official said Jackson wants to keep fighting and that Trump supports his decision.

More than 20 military employees have shared concerns about Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with members and staff of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said the panel's top Democrat, Jon Tester.

Politics & Government

VA Nominee Accused Of Drinking On Duty, Improper Prescriptions, Sen. Tester Says

11:06pm April 24, 2018

by Scott Neuman

More than 20 military employees described a "toxic work environment" to senators and staff, the Democrat told NPR. President Trump says the decision to withdraw is up to Ronny Jackson.

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Ousted Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin demurred from pointing a finger squarely at President Trump but described a VA riddled with political pressure and conflict.

Fired VA Secretary Says White House Muzzled Him

12:16pm March 29, 2018

David Shulkin, the ousted Veterans Affairs chief, tells NPR that political forces in the Trump administration want to privatize the VA and that he was not allowed to respond to an ethics controversy.

In this 1945 image, test subjects enter a gas chamber for a U.S. military experiment that will expose them to mustard gas.

For Veterans Mustard-Gassed In Secret Tests, Help Now Sits On President's Desk

2:43pm August 03, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

More than two years after NPR revealed the U.S. government broke promises to World War II veterans whom it exposed to mustard gas, Congress has passed a bill to help them finally get compensation.

Coalition forces fire a Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle during a training exercise in Afghanistan's Helmand province in 2013.

Do U.S. Troops Risk Brain Injury When They Fire Heavy Weapons?

8:11am April 05, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Some modern shoulder-fired weapons produce blast waves powerful enough to rattle the brain. A $30 million study aims to help the military figure out how much blast exposure, over time, is too much.

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A House-approved bill would require a court hearing before a U.S. veteran is deemed mentally unfit to own a gun. Here, rifles are seen at a gun shop in Merrimack, N.H., last year.

House OKs Bill Making It Tougher To Keep 'Mentally Incompetent' Vets From Buying Guns

2:45pm March 17, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Critics of the bill say it could lead to more suicides — in one recent year, an average of 20 veterans per day died from suicide, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Affairs Secretary-designate Dr. David Shulkin, then the undersecretary for health at the VA, testifies on Capitol Hill Feb. 1. Shulkin was confirmed on Monday.

Senate Confirms First Nonveteran To Lead VA

8:38pm February 13, 2017

by Quil Lawrence

Senators unanimously voted to confirm VA Health Undersecretary Dr. David Shulkin as full secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He's a rare Trump holdover from the Obama administration.

David Shulkin (center), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs undersecretary of health, talks with attendees in July prior to testifying at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing in Gilbert, Ariz. Donald Trump has selected Shulkin to lead the agen

Hiring Freeze And Obamacare Repeal Could Clobber Veterans Affairs

9:10am January 25, 2017

by Quil Lawrence

If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, some of those left uninsured will be veterans. They may turn to the VA, further burdening a troubled health care system.

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David Shulkin, the undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs, leaves a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Monday.

Trump Announces David Shulkin As Pick For Secretary Of Veterans Affairs

5:45pm January 11, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

Shulkin is the VA's undersecretary for health, a position he was nominated for by President Obama. He would be the first nonveteran to head the VA.