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Department of Veterans Affairs

The U.S. Capitol building on an orange background with papers in the air. | lllustration: Eddie Marshall | Moonb007 | Damian Gallego | Dreamstime.com

Bureaucracy

The Paperwork Reduction Act Created a Paperwork Explosion

A law meant to simplify government forms now blocks commonsense improvements, wastes taxpayer money, and slows life-saving services.

Marina Nitze | 4.16.2025 11:00 AM

A red background with white stacks of paper and a picture of a DOGE-like dog | Illustration: Lex Villena; Andrey Yakovlev

DOGE

I Tried To Fix Government Tech for Years. I'm Fed Up.

Maybe DOGE will succeed where the U.S. Digital Service (mostly) failed.

Marina Nitze | 2.13.2025 6:30 AM

Supreme Court | Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA/Newscom

Supreme Court

Some Supreme Court Justices Want the Court To Tackle More Government Abuse Cases

Unfortunately, in five separate cases today, they're outnumbered.

Scott Shackford | 11.7.2022 3:35 PM

A man in a military uniform stands near a burn pit | SENIOR AIRMAN JULIANNE SHOWALTER/TNS/Newscom

Defense Spending

Burn Pit Bill Creates Massive, Debt-Fueled Backdoor Expansion of the V.A. Health Care System

Iraq and Afghanistan veterans wouldn't have to show any link between their service and a long list of medical conditions to obtain government-funded healthcare.

Christian Britschgi | 6.7.2022 4:50 PM

Photo 19715860 © Danny Raustadt | Dreamstime.com

Government Spending

The V.A. Bought 10,000 iPhones for Veterans. 8,544 of Them Were Never Used.

The department lost nearly $2.4 million on data plans for iPhones and iPads that sat in storage.

Fiona Harrigan | 5.12.2022 3:40 PM

119294080_m |  ANUCHA RUENIN

Coronavirus

Governments Have Screwed Up Mask Purchase and Distribution. Maybe Everyone Should Be a Libertarian in a Pandemic.

The state can have all the capacity it needs and still get things badly wrong.

Brian Doherty | 5.8.2020 10:30 AM

gaming_1161x653 | Auremar / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: A Regular Florence Nightingale

Charles Oliver | 11.21.2019 4:00 AM

drunkguy_1161x653 | Mystock88photo / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: A Call for Help

Charles Oliver | 9.5.2019 4:00 AM

dreamstime_xxl_124648111 |  © Ryland Zweifel - Dreamstime.com

Veterans

Veterans Who Work In the Legal Cannabis Industry Are Being Denied Benefits

"After all our service members have sacrificed, how can we penalize them for working in their state's legal economy?"

Ben McDonald | 6.13.2019 11:30 AM

Large image on homepages | Paul Hennessy/Polaris/Newscom

Department of Veterans Affairs

The VA's Gross Mismanagement Does Nothing to Honor Vets

The Department of Veterans Affairs is honoring veterans of Veterans Day while simultaneously screwing them over again and again.

Zuri Davis | 11.12.2018 12:50 PM

Large image on homepages | Danny Raustadt/Dreamstime.com

Department of Veterans Affairs

Thousands of Tests at VA Hospitals May Have Been Cancelled Improperly

Nine hospitals now face audits.

Zuri Davis | 10.1.2018 2:30 PM

Large image on homepages | Danny Raustadt/Dreamstime.com

Department of Veterans Affairs

A Former Veterans Affairs Employee Tried To Defraud a Disabled Vet of $680,000

Kenneth Richard Devore used his position to list himself as the sole beneficiary to a disabled veteran's assets. Then he got another federal job.

Zuri Davis | 8.2.2018 9:45 AM

Large image on homepages | Alex Edelman/CNP/AdMedia/Newscom

Department of Veterans Affairs

The V.A. Has a New Boss, But Will He Fix the Agency's Problems?

New chief Robert Wilkie is in a position to tackle the agency's bureaucratic mismanagement. Will he?

Nikhil Sridhar | 7.25.2018 3:50 PM

Large image on homepages | Vladislavs Gorniks / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: Fly in the Ointment

Charles Oliver | 5.9.2018 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Department of Veterans Affairs

The V.A.'s Biggest Problem Isn't Who's In Charge—It's Centralized Government Control

With Trump's nominee Ronny Jackson out, here's how to fix veterans health care.

Michael F. Cannon | 4.30.2018 8:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Prescription Drugs

Criticism of Ronny Jackson Highlights Anxiety About Performance-Enhancing Drugs

The former V.A. nominee was charged with distributing sleeping pills and stimulants that helped people do their jobs.

Jacob Sullum | 4.26.2018 1:25 PM

Large image on homepages | GARY CAMERON/REUTERS/Newscom

Medical Marijuana

Former House Speaker John Boehner Once Opposed Marijuana Legalization. Now He's a Pot Lobbyist.

He's doing it for the vets. And probably for the potential new customer base.

Scott Shackford | 4.11.2018 1:05 PM

Large image on homepages

Donald Trump

Trump Nominates a Toady for the Department of Veterans Affairs

Dr. Ronny Jackson is the hapless underling of an incompetent leader.

Steve Chapman | 4.2.2018 12:01 AM

Large image on homepages | Andrei Malov / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: Oh, So That's Where I Left That

Charles Oliver | 1.25.2018 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages | Megaflopp / Dreamstime

Medical Marijuana

New Policy Lets V.A. Docs Talk to Veterans About Medical Marijuana Use

But they're still forbidden from recommending or prescribing, and the government won't pay for it.

Scott Shackford | 12.20.2017 8:30 AM

Large image on homepages | Danny Raustadt / Dreamstime

Brickbats

Brickbat: Good Enough for Government Work

Charles Oliver | 12.18.2017 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages | Library of Congress

Future

It's Time to Privatize the V.A.

And a lot of other government functions as well.

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 10.30.2017 6:00 AM

Large image on homepages | Katarzyna Bialasiewicz / Dreamstime

Brickbats

Brickbat: The Best of Care

Charles Oliver | 10.30.2017 4:00 AM

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