‘I hung up and vomited’ Veteran sexual assault survivors say VA’s outreach retraumatized them December 18, 2020 The seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, D.C. is shown in June 2013. (Charles Dharapak/AP) An attempt by Veterans Affairs officials this week to improve their outreach to military sexual misconduct victims left several of those victims retraumatized due to what they called an insensitive approach to the issue. The incident a town hall meeting via telephone in which women were cold-called and transferred into a conversation about sexual abuse with little warning comes as the VA department’s leadership is embroiled in controversy over their own handling on a sexual assault claim at a VA medical center last year.
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Photo of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie: VA.gov
Several leading veterans’ organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, and Vietnam Veterans of America, wrote a scathing letter to President Trump urging for the immediate ouster of Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie.
In the letter, the veterans’ organizations stated that Wilkie, “no longer has the trust or confidence of America’s veterans.” Their condemnation came after a damning audit released by the inspector general of Veterans Affairs. The audit found that Wilkie had acted unprofessionally and unethically in disparaging a Congressional aide to House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, (D-CA). Takano said that actions of senior department leaders “betray the public trust and as a result disqualify [them] from all future public service.”
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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.