Silke Jasso
Among the flurry of executive orders signed by Donald Trump in his first week is a federal hiring freeze, effective immediately for agencies across the government.
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But Press Secretary Sean Spicer has confirmed to USA Today that the freeze also covers the Veterans Administration, which is in the midst of trying to fill over 2000 positions, including openings for hundreds of doctors and nurses. That could spell trouble for veterans across the country, hundreds of thousands of whom already wait 30 days or more for care (per Trump’s own site).
During the campaign, Trump frequently complained about “systematic failure” in the Veterans Administration. Last year, Trump skipped a debate to hold a televised fundraiser for veterans, claiming that he’d raised $5.6 million; the full amount only surfaced after a Washington Post investigation revealed that Trump only paid half the organizations he claimed to.
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In recent years, the agency has been plagued by long wait times, malpractice and scandals. The Trump Administration lists a 10-point plan to reform the Veterans Administration. One point pledges to “ensure every veteran has the choice to seek care at the VA or at a private service provider of their own choice.” By kneecapping new hiring at the VA and prioritizing treatment at facilities outside the system to expedite wait times, Trump and his team lay the foundation for drawing down the government system.
Joe Chenelly of AmVets, a veterans advocacy group, told Fox News that they have seen more than a 50 percent increase in veterans seeking care outside the Veteran’s Administration system, adding, “My prediction is a surge of people will want care outside the system.”
