CHICAGO, Ill. – The Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee had its first chance to ask questions about the COVID-19 breakout at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home Wednesday. Lawmakers demand accountability from the Pritzker administration, as they feel residents and families deserve answers about how this tragedy happened.
Officials from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs say they have the outbreak contained with strong compliance measures in place. As of Wednesday, 108 veterans in the facility tested positive, with 56 of those residents having recovered. Experts on-site report 19 active cases, but 33 veterans have died following complications with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, 103 staff members tested positive since the start of the outbreak. Dr. Avery Hart, the Illinois Department of Public Health consultant working at the facility, says only two of those cases are still active. No employees have died.
Congress passes sweeping end-of-year bill impacting every corner of the veteran community
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America’s six leading veterans organizations have joined together to demand the resignation of the secretary of veterans affairs after a federal investigation found he aimed to discredit a female veteran who filed a sexual harassment claim instead of properly investigating the matter.
In a letter to President Donald Trump this week, the heads of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Paralyzed Veterans of America demanded that he remove VA Secretary Robert Wilkie from his post.
“His actions not only threaten to deter veterans from seeking care at VA, but also undermine the efforts of VA staff who have been working to bring an end to sexual harassment throughout the department,” the groups wrote.
Big six veterans groups ask Trump to fire VA Secretary Wilkie immediately December 16, 2020 Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie speaks at a White House event on April 30, 2020. Multiple veterans groups have called for Wilkie s firing in recent days. (Alex Brandon/AP) The nation’s leading veterans groups on Wednesday formally requested that President Donald Trump fire Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie immediately from his Cabinet post, saying that the VA administrator “no longer has the trust or confidence of America’s veterans.” The letter signed by leaders from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS and Vietnam Veterans of America is the latest damning assessment of Wilkie’s ability shepherd the department following the release of an inspector general report last week criticizing his handling of a sexual assault allegation late last year.
Congress finalizes sweeping veterans policy bill with new protections for women, students December 16, 2020 Sailors assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Bremerton in Washington receive information on GI Bill benefits during a college fair on Feb. 20, 2020. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Haydn N. Smith/Navy) House lawmakers on Wednesday finalized a massive, sweeping veterans policy measure which includes new protections for student veterans, new aid for veterans hurt by the ongoing pandemic and long sought-after improvements to VA services aimed at women veterans. The 337-page bill cobbled together in recent months from dozens of smaller reform measures easily passed the chamber by a voice vote on Wednesday afternoon. It was advanced by the Senate one week ago without any objections, and now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump’s final signature.
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