Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough unveiled a new reform effort to examine and reverse racial disparities inside the embattled agency. During a Thursday press conference in Washington, D.C., McDonough announced that he directed his senior staff to “immediately” form a new equity team, which would focus on investigating discriminatory practices at the VA that have long prevented certain Black veterans from collecting the housing, education, and financial benefits they were due.
“I would expect that team to consider policies across the VA — to address these concerns, including changes related to organizational structure, training, quality, control, outreach, and more,” McDonough said. “We won’t rest until every veteran gets the