This week, the Trump Administration shuttered the VA Office of Equity Assurance, which was established by legislation from Senator Reverend Warnock to address disparities in how the federal government provides disability compensation to military service members
The office was made by possible by legislation introduced and passed by Senator Reverend Warnock
ICYMI from ProPublica: The Office That Investigates Disparities in Veterans’ Care Is Being “Liquidated”
Senator Reverend Warnock: “This undermines the progress we have made in making the VA more responsive and accountable to our men and women in uniform. I urge the administration to reconsider this reckless decision and ensure proper treatment of all veterans remains at the core of the VA’s mission. Veterans deserve better, and I will keep fighting to get them the care they are owed”
Washington, D.C. – This week, the Trump Administration shut down a unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs created by legislation introduced and passed by U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) to address disparities in how the federal government provides disability compensation to military service members. The closure of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Office of Equity Assurance halts efforts at the VA to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities the department itself has acknowledged. In response to this egregious move, Senator Warnock released the following statement:
“I have always said our veterans are the best among us, and I believe those who fight for us should not have to fight with us to get the care and support they need. Donald Trump’s shuttering of the VA Office of Equity Assurance is a devastating blow to our commitment to ensuring all veterans receive the quality care and benefits they have earned. Equality in care is not about giving some people an advantage, it is about honoring an obligation we have to all those who served our country,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I was proud to introduce and pass the legislation that made it possible to address disparities experienced by veterans in accessing vital benefits, particularly for historically marginalized and underserved veterans of color. But because this administration sees anything as resembling diversity as a threat, they are gutting an institution that is meant to protect those who put their lives on the line in defense of our freedoms. This undermines the progress we have made in making the VA more responsive and accountable to our men and women in uniform. I urge the administration to reconsider this reckless decision and ensure proper treatment of all veterans remains at the core of the VA’s mission. Veterans deserve better, and I will keep fighting to get them the care they are owed.”
Senator Warnock’s law was designed to provide additional insight on the scope of disparities facing veterans of color by requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study if disparities associated with race and ethnicity exist, as well as to what extent, regarding: access to VA compensation benefits; disability ratings, with a focus on pain assessment; and rejections of Fully Developed Claims that help veterans work in partnership with the VA to identify missing documentation. The effort was signed into law in 2021 after passing the Senate with bipartisan support.
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