by Dan Burns

Oct 5, 2021, 7:30 AM

Checking out where the VA is at right now

You may have seen this.

Former President Donald Trump empowered associates from his private club to pursue a plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs to monetize patient data, according to documents newly released by congressional investigators.

As ProPublica first reported in 2018, a trio based at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort weighed in on policy and personnel decisions for the federal government’s second-largest agency, despite lacking any experience in the U.S. government or military.
(ProPublica)

But that was standard Trump stuff, and while the “Trio” were generally despicable they were unable (like Trump himself) to put many of their most deranged, grandiose plans into action. Not long after taking office President Biden installed Denis McDonough (a native Minnesotan, who was an undergrad at St. John’s and played safety for John Gagliardi) as head of the agency.

And based on a perusal of current news things aren’t bad.

– Veterans who received less-than-honorable discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be eligible for VA benefits. (CNN)

– McDonough is rightfully PO’d that Congress isn’t moving faster on helping military burn pit victims. (Military Times)

– I didn’t see it, but apparently there’s a claim being pimped online in some circles (you know what I mean) that President Biden is denying VA benefits to the unvaccinated. It is of course BS. (Snopes)

A big government agency, under legitimate leadership all the way to the top, just doing its job, not perfectly but without a lot of constant scandal and drama. Here in the real world, that’s about as much as you can realistically ask.