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Articles by Jacqueline Klimas

The seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington is seen here on June 21, 2013. The number of military suicides is nearly double that of a decade ago when the U.S. was just a year into the Afghan war and hadn't yet invaded Iraq. While the pace is down slightly this year, it remains worryingly high. The U.S. military and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acknowledge the grave difficulties facing active-duty and former members of the armed services who have been caught up in the more-than decade-long American involvement in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Associated Press)

Veterans groups push for more VA funding

Veterans advocates warned Thursday that the Choice Card program passed by Congress last year is not a long-term fix for the VA's poor services for veterans, and told lawmakers to boost the department's budget so it can hire more staff and get a new scheduling system to prevent another waiting list scandal.

January 15, 2015
The VA has been under pressure to improve services after an internal investigation found that offices throughout the country were ensnared in bureaucratic red tape and kept secret waiting lists that prevented veterans from receiving timely care. (Associated Press)

VA cancels bonus program giving employees incentive to rush claims

The Philadelphia VA regional office abruptly canceled plans Wednesday to pay bonuses for speeding up claims processing, after employees said they feared the bonuses would encourage them to make hasty decisions and deny deserving veterans their rightful benefits.

January 14, 2015
Rep. Jeff Miller, Florida Republican. (Associated Press)

Jeff Miller introduces bill to recoup VA bonuses

A top lawmaker introduced a bill Monday that would allow the VA secretary to order employees to repay bonuses if they were later found to have contributed to poor veteran care.

January 13, 2015
In this March 1, 2002, file photo, a detainee is escorted to interrogation by U.S. military guards at Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)

GOP lawmakers try to tighten Gitmo transfer rules

Fed up with President Obama's renewed push to close Guantanamo Bay prison, top Republican senators on Tuesday announced legislation to clamp down on his ability to empty the facility, saying he should no longer be allowed to send detainees to Yemen, home of al Qaeda's deadliest franchise, or to release any of the most serious terrorist suspects still being held.

January 13, 2015
Rep. Mike Coffman, Colorado Republican, said VA bonuses should be given for exceptional work, "not just pushing paperwork." (Associated Press)

VA puts veterans at risk by providing incentive to rush claims, critics say

The Philadelphia VA announced a new incentive program earlier this month that rewards employees with cash and food for deciding cases quickly — a move that some employees say will encourage staff to rush claims and reject deserving applicants, once again leaving veterans struggling for benefits.

January 12, 2015
Republicans say their 2014 campaign victories are proof they've made up ground in the battle with Democrats for digital supremacy. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Republicans: Wins show success in digital battle

Republicans say their 2014 campaign victories are proof they've made up ground in the battle with Democrats for digital supremacy, but consultants say they'll need to continue cultivating a pool of talent to make sure they're ready to compete at the presidential level in 2016.

December 28, 2014
With the Capitol in the background, Army veteran David Dickerson of Oklahoma City, Okla., right, and Air Force veteran Linda Stanley, from San Diego, Calif., now with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), join others to place 1,892 flags representing veteran and service members who have died by suicide to date in 2014, Thursday, March 27, 2014, on the National Mall in Washington. The event also marked the introduction of The Suicide Prevention for America's Veterans Act by Sen. John Walsh, D-Mont., which calls for greater access to mental health care. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) **FILE**

Veteran suicide investigation shows depression may run deeper than VA reports

Veteran suicide is a major issue on Capitol Hill, but policymakers may be making decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate data, according to several investigations that suggest depression could be a far larger problem than the one-in-10 figure the Department of Veterans Affairs cites.

December 24, 2014