Nearly 1 in 4 VA employees report sex harassment, audit says

Nearly 1 in 4 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs say they have been subjected to unwanted sexual comments and other harassment — one of the highest levels in federal government — and an audit says the Trump administration has not been doing enough to protect them. At a House hearing Wednesday, lawmakers heard VA express a commitment to “changing the culture” to make the department more welcoming to women, but that long-sought improvements urged by the Government Accountability Office could take until 2024 to fully implement. “The VA is not the same VA as four years ago,” insisted acting VA deputy secretary Pam Powers, pointing to increased outreach to women and improved trust ratings in the VA from employees and patients alike according to internal polling.