Project 2025 impact on Veterans

Project 2025 will...

• . . . eliminate the Department of Homeland Security and distribute its functions to other departments: This could negatively affect veterans by making it harder for the government to coordinate services for veterans, such as those related to immigration, naturalization, and border protection. Many veterans rely on DHS for support in these areas. [133]
• . . . eliminate the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP). This means it will be harder for veterans to report problems at the VA. [653]
• . . . restrict eligibility for first-time homebuyers: Project 2025 proposes to change the Federal Housing Administration's statutory restriction of single-family housing mortgage insurance to first-time homebuyers. This could negatively affect veterans by making it harder for them to buy homes. Many veterans rely on FHA loans to buy their first homes. [510]
• . . . eliminate many of the health conditions that qualify veterans for disability benefits: Project 2025 additionally criticizes the 1991 Agent Orange Act and the 2022 PACT Act, which aid veterans exposed to toxic substances. This will greatly restrict disabled veteran's access to life-sustaining benefits. [649]
• . . . put at risk the jobs of the nearly 637,000 veterans working for the federal government by making it easier to fire federal employees, disbanding agencies like the Department of Education and Department of Homeland Security and privatizing the TSA: This will jeopardize the livelihoods of veterans and undermine the effectiveness of the government. [80]  [133]  [319]

Additions:

VHA (Veterans Health Administration)

• . . . Rescind all departmental clinical policy directives that are contrary to principles of conservative governance starting with abortion services and gender reassignment surgery [644]. This may open the door for the treatment of conditions only deemed ‘conservative’.
• . . . a veterans bill of rights is needed so that veterans and VA staff know exactly what benefits veterans are entitled to receive [645]. The Rights and Responsibilities of VA Patients currently exist and can be found at: http://www.va.gov/health/rights/patientright.asp

Personnel

• . . . Extend the term of the Under Secretary for Health (USH) to five years [647]. Additionally, authority should be given to reappoint this individual for a second five-year term both to allow for continuity and to protect the USH from political transition.
• . . . Require VHA facilities to increase the number of patients seen each day to equal the number seen by DOD medical facilities: approximately 19 patients per provider per day. [647]. This will put quantity of patients seen, over quality of care.
• . . . Hire more private companies to perform disability medical examinations [649]. Privatized services are profit motivated, rather than VA employees who get to serve people for the right reasons.
• . . . Conduct a high-priority assessment of Electronic Health Record (EHR) transition delays and functionality problems. . .VA’s EHR rollout has been blocked by technical delays. . . [648]
• . . . The VA is currently implementing the new Federal electronic health record (EHR) system to store and track patient medical information. This effort is known as VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM). The Federal EHR is now in use at six VA medical centers (VAMCs) and their 25 associated clinics and serves more than 275,000 Veterans. The department expects to resume pre-deployment activities at future sites in fiscal year 2025. VA.gov

VBA (Veterans Benefits Administration)

• . . . Improve the VBA acquisition workforce. The VBA needs more world-class contractor support [651]. Increasing contractor employment will decrease the veteran/federal workforce.
• . . . Recruit a more relevantly knowledgeable and technologically savvy team, along with robust political control of the VA, could bring about better solutions to the VBA’s workflow challenges [651] . This would increase the political influence and control over the VA and would interfere with the VA’s mission "To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors." VA.gov

HRA (Human Resources and Administration)

• . . . Rescind all delegations of authority promulgated by the VA under the prior Administration [651] Why rescind until it’s assessed? This assumes that there’s an issue with who has control/authority over the VA employees.
• . . . Expedite the acquisition of a new Human Resources Information Technology (HRIT) system [651]. This will assist new administration with reorganizing /firing employees, while targeting specific non-compliant workers.
• . . . Transfer all career Senior Executive Service (SES) out of PA/PAS (Presidential Appointee/Presidential Appointee with Senate approval)-designated positions on the first day and ensure political control of the VA [651]. Will increase political control of a governmental agency that should remain apolitical.
• . . . Support the White House Office of Presidential Personnel (PPO) in identifying a fully vetted roster of candidates to assume all key positions at VA well ahead of formal nominations . . .to serve as political appointees [652]. This will allow for more political control within the Department of Veterans Affairs and fewer checks and balances.
• . . . Increase the number and utilization of Limited Term Appointment Senior Executive Service positions. . . [652]. This will allow for more political control within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• . . . Manage the relationship with organized labor effectively and proactively. . .Identify and ensure that senior leaders get buy-in from reform-minded career employees willing to accept and support change. [653] This will allow for more political control within the Department of Veterans Affairs.