PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trump orders federal DEI offices to close
As agencies are ordered to place federal employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion roles on paid leave, some question how this could have a ripple effect on local businesses and organizations. FOX 5’s Lili Zheng has the story. The Brief
The Department of Veterans Affairs says it has placed 60 employees dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on leave.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating an end to DEI programs last week.
The VA says the combined salaries of the employees totals more than $8 million. They area also dismantling programs and removing DEI material from their various digital platforms.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it has completed its initial implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order mandating an end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government.
The VA says to date, it has placed nearly 60 employees who had been solely focused on DEI activities on paid administrative leave.
By the numbers:
They say the combined annual salary of these employees, which includes base pay, locality pay and additional earnings, totals more than $8 million. It’s an average of more than $136,000 per employee, per year, and they say one employee was making more than $220,000 per year.The VA says they are also working to cancel several contracts for DEI-related trainings, materials and other consulting services. They say the combined value of these contracts totals more than $6.1 million.They are also removing a variety of DEI-related media from its various digital platforms.What they’re saying:"Under President Trump, VA is laser-focused on providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. We are proud to have abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission. We look forward to reallocating the millions of dollars the department was spending on DEI programs and personnel to better serve the men and women who have bravely served our nation," said VA Director of Media Affairs Morgan Ackley.In the coming weeks and months, the VA says […]
Department of Veterans Affairs says 60 DEI employees put on leave
