President Donald Trump has signed an executive order Thursday to create a new office within the Department of Veteran Affairs to enforce accountability and protect VA whistleblowers. The order creates an office that can search out employees who fail to uphold the highest standard of care when it comes to handling the medical process of our nation’s veterans, and will also serve to protect those who point out those same people, whether superior or subordinate.
The Department of Veteran Affairs has been plagued by scandal in recent years, from veterans dying in waiting rooms to suicide’s related to the lack of care received. However, these major incidents only prove to further highlight the many problems with the department. Severe backlogs make appeal times for disability compensation upwards of years, and something as simple as setting an appointment with a primary care provider can take upwards of 30 or more days in the best cases. President Trump made it clear during the 2016 election that he intended to overhaul the care of America’s veterans, a promise he kept ahead of his 100th day in office.
President Trump addressed the new order while promising to remain committed to the welfare of troops.
“We are not going to let them down,” the President said. “[The order] makes it clear that we will never tolerate substandard care for our great veterans.”
Watch President Trump deliver remarks and sign the executive order below:
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