Federal Government Policy and Business

Civil Rights Groups Pressure VA Ahead of GAO Racism Audit

Government Executive: Kansas City-area civil rights groups on Tuesday vowed to continue to pressure officials at the Veterans Affairs Department to do something about racism that they said pervades the agency responsible for providing veterans health care, as a government watchdog agency prepares to begin its own inquiry into allegations of discrimination.

In August, a survey conducted by the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents employees at the department, found that nearly 76% of respondents had either experienced or witnessed “racially charged actions” against themselves or a coworker. After the survey’s release, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, asked the Government Accountability Office to conduct an investigation into systemic racism at the VA.

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