1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

The Trump administration's closure of the Office of Equity Assurance at the Department of Veterans Affairs is deeply concerning. This office played a vital role in investigating and addressing long-standing racial disparities in how the VA provides disability compensation to military service members. Dissolving this office effectively hampers the VA's ability to ensure all veterans receive fair and equal treatment, regardless of race. Data from the Government Accountability Office and lawsuits like the one filed by the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress have highlighted alarming disparities in benefit claim approvals between Black and white veterans. Shuttering the Office of Equity Assurance signals a disturbing disregard for these well-documented inequities. We urge you to take immediate action to reinstate the Office of Equity Assurance and protect its mandate to tackle racial discrimination within the VA system. Our nation's veterans have sacrificed immensely for our country, and they deserve a benefits system that treats them equitably, without bias or discrimination. Failing to address these disparities is a disservice to the very individuals who have served and protected our freedoms.