Jackson fiasco is least of worries
Dozens of senior staff members have left the Department of Veterans Affairs since January, an exodus that predates President Donald Trump’s firing of VA Secretary David Shulkin in March and appears to have accelerated in the chaotic weeks since.
The departures — some resigned voluntarily, others say they were forced out — mark the latest sign of estrangement among VA’s career civil servants, the professional staff recruited by Shulkin, and a cadre of Trump loyalists pushing for changes within a sprawling bureaucracy for which change has never come easily.
Trump’s failed nomination of Ronny Jackson to lead the agency has only heightened the sense of tension and disarray that took root in the months leading to Shulkin’s removal, according to 17 current and former VA officials and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where the turmoil has caused alarm.
Administration officials characterize the turnover as “minor personnel issues,” saying the Trump team in place at VA has faced obstruction from employees deemed unwilling to embrace the president’s agenda; principally his plan to outsource more health care for veterans, punish misconduct among career staff and disclose more data on VA hospitals performing poorly.
“Under Pre sident Trump, VA has had its most productive year in decades. We have made groundbreaking progress, particularly in the areas of accountability, transparency and efficiency across the department,” said Curt Cashour, the agency’s spokesman.
Such change has “understandably shaken up VA’s Washington bureaucracy, and in many cases employees who were wedded to the status quo and not on board with this administration’s policies have departed VA, some willingly, some against their will as they were about to be fired.
“We understand,” Cashour said, “that not everyone is ready for this level of reform.”
Nearly 40 senior staff members have left since the year began.
The upheaval has created voids throughout the organization’s leadership structure in core areas, including health care, benefits, technology and human resources.
Staff and veterans advocates say the loss of talent and institutional knowledge is impeding efforts to address significant challenges, from reducing the rate of suicide among former military personnel to modernizing VA’s antiquated record-keeping system and eliminating its backlog of benefits appeals.
Two high- stakes initiatives also have stalled: Legislation to expand veterans’ access to health care outside VA’s network, and a $16 billion contract to synchronize veterans’ medical records with systems operated by the Defense Department and private providers.
Those who have sought an exit describe an environment where political loyalty outweighs reasoned policy debate, according to current and former officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal or concern that speaking out publicly could jeopardize their employment prospects. Additional high- level resignations are expected in coming weeks, including VA’s second-in- command, Deputy Secretary Thomas Bowman, a Trump appointee who fell from favor in the final weeks of Shulkin’s tenure. Bowman declined to comment.