The VA expanded its diversity initiatives during the Biden-Harris administration while hundreds of thousands of veterans waited for their benefits, drawing criticism for resource allocation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) faced criticism for its expanded focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives while the number of veterans facing prolonged waits for benefits surged under the Biden-Harris administration. According to Do No Harm, a nonprofit that tracks DEI policies, the VA implemented at least a dozen new DEI measures, including the creation of an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Council in compliance with President Joe Biden’s executive order on racial equity.
The VA’s emphasis on these efforts coincided with an increase in the number of homeless veterans and a rise in backlogged claims. By the end of 2023, the backlog had grown to approximately 378,000 pending claims, up from 210,854 in September 2021. Many of these claims had been pending for over 125 days. The agency expected this number to rise through 2024, although it has yet to release final year-end data.
Despite the VA’s struggles, the department pursued contracts with more diverse suppliers and initiated outreach campaigns targeting LGBTQ+ and female-owned businesses. These initiatives aimed to encourage women to self-identify as veterans and increase visibility for minority-owned enterprises. The agency also allocated $718,000 to equip 20 medical centers with resources to further “implement” or “advance” equity.
The VA’s actions sparked criticism, especially in light of rising homelessness among veterans, which increased from 33,129 in 2022 to 35,574 in 2023. The increase was notably significant among “unsheltered” veterans living on the streets rather than in shelters.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) highlighted these concerns, emphasizing the need to prioritize veteran services. “Let’s go and point out the obvious which is that FEMA had utilized a large majority of the personnel who should be here taking care of this to be replaced or repurposed for immigration resettlement when we need to be focusing on Americans whether it be in Maui, Palestine, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, or Tennessee,” Mills told the Washington Examiner in early October.
While President Biden’s administration implemented the PACT Act to expand benefits for veterans, the VA’s focus on diversity training and abortion policies attracted attention. In contrast, former President Donald Trump, who continues to receive strong support from veterans, sought to increase the VA’s budget and expanded access to medical care outside the VA hospital system.
Recent Pew Research Center data showed veterans favor Trump over Harris by 61% to 37%, reflecting ongoing support for the former president’s veteran-focused policies.
The VA did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the ongoing issues facing veterans.
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