Washington, D.C. — Congress and the next administration must commit to making key reforms at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to give military veterans the care and financial and emotional support they deserve, according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress.
To determine whether the VA is carrying out its mission efficiently and effectively, the issue brief urges lawmakers and federal officials to focus on four primary issues:
- Why the current era of military conflicts is different from that of past conflicts
- How the United States has historically dealt with and cared for its veterans
- How the VA is currently organized and funded
- What pressures the VA receives from the well-oiled veterans lobby
The next presidential administration should levy a specific tax to pay for budget increases to the VA so it can continue to perform well and provide essential services to veterans. Additionally, the next VA secretary should be an experienced leader of the same stature as the secretaries of defense and state.
Other priorities include stopping the rush to privatize veterans’ health care, paying more attention to the needs of the country’s 2 million female veterans, and putting pressure on the private sector to give veterans more preference in hiring.
Read the issue brief: “Caring for U.S. Veterans: A Plan for 2020” by Larry Korb and Aminata Diallo
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.