Who's calling the shots at the VA? Shulkin says he is, with the President's support - CNN Politics

Who's calling the shots at the VA? Shulkin says he is, with the President's support

Juana Summers

By Juana Summers, CNN

Updated 0002 GMT (0802 HKT) February 21, 2018

Trump's Cabinet faces travel scrutiny

Trump's Cabinet faces travel scrutiny 02:26

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump made improving care for veterans a centerpiece of his campaign, and for the last year his VA Secretary, David Shulkin, has enjoyed bipartisan praise for the department's work on behalf of the men and women that serve the United States.

But in the last week, rifts over policy and tensions between White House insiders and those within the Department of Veterans Affairs have called into question who is really running the department.

Shulkin remains on the job nearly a week after a blistering inspector general report found that his chief of staff altered an email and made false statements to a department ethics official that led taxpayers to cover expenses for Shulkin's wife on an official trip to Europe. The inspector general report also called into question Shulkin's acceptance of pricy Wimbledon tickets and his use of an aide as what the report called a "personal travel concierge" to him and his wife.

VA secretary: White House didn't ask me to resign

VA secretary: White House didn't ask me to resign

Shulkin was at the White House on Tuesday for his second meeting with White House chief of staff John Kelly in a week. He told CNN in an interview that Kelly assured him that he still has the President's backing.

"I'm the secretary and we're moving forward in the way that the President wants us to," Shulkin told CNN, saying he remains in full control of the department.

"Anybody who is not moving in the same direction as I am, which is implementing the President's agenda, is going to find this is probably not the right place for him to be," he added.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday she had "no reason to believe otherwise" when asked if Shulkin was still in good standing.

"As we've said many times before, if someone no longer has the confidence of the president, you guys will know," she said, adding that she was unable to comment further until a secondary review of the inspector general report was completed.

Underlying the political jockeying within the VA is a policy debate that could change the face of health care for the roughly 9 million veterans the VA health care system currently serves.

Tensions between White House and VA

'The President doesn't script the cabinet' 06:44

For his part, Shulkin has maintained that he did nothing wrong, though he wished he had asked more questions of his staff, but told CNN that he has repaid the US Treasury for his wife's travel as recommended by VA's Inspector General Michael Missal.

But the scrutiny over Shulkin's travel has opened a window into tensions between the agency and White House officials that have gone on since at least winter of 2017.

Members of the veterans community both on and off Capitol Hill said they'd been concerned for months about the roles of two former Trump campaign officials: Darin Selnick, the veterans affairs adviser for the White House's Domestic Policy Council who has ties to the Koch-backed group Concerned Veterans for America, and Jake Leinenkugel, the former brewer and now White House senior adviser on veterans issues.

Selnick and White House staffers have met with key veteran groups to discuss policy issues without the presence of Shulkin's key aides, according to two sources within the veterans community.

Veterans advocates and congressional aides were particularly alarmed by a December memo that Leinenkugel wrote that accused Shulkin's deputy, Thomas Bowman, of disloyalty and being at odds with Trump's agenda and recommended that both Bowman and Shulkin's then-chief of staff Vivieca Wright Simpson be replaced. Shulkin, according to the memo, which was previously reported by The New York Times and The Washington Post, should be "put on notice" to leave after more of the President's key VA initiatives were in place, Leinenkugel wrote.

The White House did not respond to CNN's request for comment about the memo, or Selnick and Leinenkugel's involvement with the department.

Two congressional aides said the memo "confirmed their worst suspicions" about the level of disconnect within the White House and said they weren't sure whether Shulkin would be able to ride it out. They also expressed concern that it could lead to a fundamental shift in how the nation's veterans receive care.

Asked about the reports of tension between administration officials and those within the VA, Shulkin told CNN on Tuesday that there "have been different people with agendas different than the one that I have and that has to stop."

"That's my job," he added, "to make sure we're focused on moving forward with the mission that we have."

Staff moves

Embattled VA secretary's staffer leaves in wake of watchdog report

Embattled VA secretary's staffer leaves in wake of watchdog report

Recent days have also seen a high-level staff shuffle, with Shulkin's former chief of staff, Vivieca Wright Simpson -- who was named in the critical IG report last week -- announcing her decision to retire.

Wright Simpson, a three-decade public servant and the third-most-senior official at VA "just didn't feel that it was the right thing for her and her family to continue in that type of environment," Shulkin said Friday.

Hours later, VA press secretary Curt Cashour announced that Peter O'Rourke, the head of the new VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection and a former Trump campaign aide, would fill the chief of staff role on a permanent basis.

The White House did not respond to CNN's request for comment on O'Rourke's appointment to one of the VA's top jobs. Shulkin told CNN that O'Rourke's selection as chief of staff was a "mutual decision" between himself and the White House as he said is standard practice for political appointees.

"We started to work together over the weekend and today," Shulkin said of O'Rourke Tuesday. "I think we are going to be very effective in getting this organization back on track with him in that role."

There also seems to be a broader messaging disconnect that exemplifies how much the department's secretary and the White House-aligned officials working in it are not on the same page.

Last week, when the inspector general report on Shulkin's 2017 Europe trip became public, the secretary released a statement in which he defended himself, saying that he had "done nothing wrong." In that same statement, Shulkin called the report "neither accurate nor objective" and characterized it as "a direct assault on my spouse, my character and my unblemished record of service to the Veterans Affairs Administration."

Hours later, Shulkin's statement no longer appeared on the VA's website. The statement was replaced by a significantly shorter one from the VA's press secretary that said, "Accountability and transparency are important values at VA under President Trump, and we look forward to reviewing the report and its recommendations in more detail before determining an appropriate response."

Cashour declined to answer questions about why he replaced the secretary's statement with one of his own.

Inquires about Shulkin made to the VA's press office have been referred to the White House; Shulkin has been communicating with reporters not with the involvement of the press office, but instead through his personal cell phone.

Over the weekend, a number of veterans service organizations released a statement supportive of Shulkin and condemning what American Legion National Commander Denise Rohan described as "political operatives [who] have taken active measures to undermine Shulkin, his deputy, his former chief of staff and their ability to lead."

Delaware may let students ‘choose’ their race, gender without parental consent - Fox News

20/2/2018

Delaware may let students ‘choose’ their race, gender without parental consent

By Talia Kirkland | Fox News

Delaware's policy lets kids choose gender

State officials say policy will protect vulnerable student population.

A proposal that would let students in Delaware as young as 5 choose their own race and gender-identity – without approval from their parents – has sparked a bitter battle in the First State.

On one side are parents who say they want a more welcoming climate for their transgender or non-binary children. On the other side are parents who say the proposal infringes on their basic parental rights.

Under Regulation 225, schools would be required to provide access to facilities and activities that are consistent with a student's gender identity—regardless of the child's sex at birth. That includes bathrooms, locker rooms, team sports and adhering to the child's preferred name. Under the proposal, students could also choose their own race.

What has rankled some parents is that the new regulation does not require schools to inform parents of the child’s decision. Instead, the policy advises administrators to assess the child’s well-being before disclosing the information to the child’s parents.

While a growing number of states are imposing rules to protect transgender students, Delaware’s proposed rules go further – letting a child decide, even if the parent disagrees with the decision.

"The regulation isn't about keeping a secret, it's about what's in the best interest of the child," said Mark Purpura, president of Equality Delaware. "The reality is there are children living in fear who do not feel comfortable coming out to their parents as gay or transgender."

States that have some protections for harassment and/or bullying of students based on sexual orientation and gender identity. (Human Rights Campaign)

But some say this is yet another example of government overreach. They say parents should be involved in making such a critical decision involving their children.

"I would be livid if the school allowed my daughter to make such a significant decision without me," said Terri Hodges, president of the Delaware PTA and committee member

Hodges said she does not oppose the regulation but feels that alienating parents is not the right way to carry it out.

"I want to protect children,” she said, “but we can't pick and choose when to engage parents."

The state's proposal drew more than 11,000 public comments in the form of letters, emails and online submissions— the majority opposing the new rule.

If approved, the regulation would protect 19 characteristics—protections that expert David Cohen, professor of law at Drexel University, said are not represented in the current federal anti-discrimination policy.

"Title IX does not explicitly cover gender,” said Cohen. “All it talks about is sex discrimination – and not every court, administrator or administration interprets gender identity as sex."

delaware schools

Governor John Carney's office released the following statement: "This regulation is about providing guidance that will help school districts ensure that all children feel safe and comfortable at school. It was drafted by a development team that included parents, educators, school district leaders, students, and school board members from across the state."

Delaware's governor, John Carney, felt strongly that more could be done to protect students from bullying and discrimination, and in 2017 urged the DDOE to enact a policy.

But last month at the committee’s final public meeting, a crowd of more than 250 people packed the auditorium of Delaware Technical Community College to express their opposition.

Delaware State Rep. Rich Collins, R-Millsboro, said the proposed regulation is onerous, excessive and confusing. He said the current anti-discrimination policy is concise and efficient, and replacing it with a multi-page regulation is a distraction.

"This is taking our eye off the ball," Collins said. "We have one school that has a 3-percent math proficiency and there are issues educating our kids [across the state]."

But Andrea Rashbaum, a parent of a transgender child, said parents can't expect a child to learn if they don't feel safe.

family

Andrea Rashbaum with her daughter, Maddie, and her husband.

"We have to take these worries off their plates," Rashbaum said. "Similar to how hungry children can't perform, a child who feels unheard and misunderstood can't focus on reading or math scores."

Rashbaum believes that a state regulation would put every child on an even playing field.

"Right now gender and race identification are handled on a school-by-school basis," Rashbaum said. "One school will help a child grow to have dignity and the other less educated school [in the same district] can squash a child's self-worth."

If approved, Delaware would be among 18 states and the District of Columbia who have implemented anti-harassment regulations based on gender identification and sexual orientation.

Delaware is one of the first states to draft a proposal to explicitly acknowledge gender identification in schools as a protected characteristic, and violators – it’s unclear if would target teachers or administrators – could be prosecuted.

After a public hearing period, the Department of Education will approve or deny the regulation.

Talia Kirkland is a multimedia reporter based in Philadelphia, Pa.

North Korea Pulled Out of Olympic Meeting With Pence, U.S. Says - Bloomberg

North Korea Pulled Out of Olympic Meeting With Pence, U.S. Says

February 21, 2018, 1:08 PM GMT+11

Vice president had agreed to meet Kim’s envoys in South Korea

Would’ve been the highest direct contact in more than decade

Mike Pence watches short track speed skating on Feb. 10. Photographer: Carl Court/Getty Images

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was willing to meet with Kim Jong Un’s envoys earlier this month during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, but the North Koreans backed out, the Trump administration said.

“North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the vice president softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics,’’ Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said Tuesday in a statement. “This administration will stand in the way of Kim’s desire to whitewash their murderous regime with nice photo ops at the Olympics. Perhaps that’s why they walked away from a meeting, or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down.’’

Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader’s younger sister, and Kim Yong Nam, the country’s ceremonial head of state, attended the opening ceremonies Feb. 9, as part of an Olympic detente with host South Korea. During a five-day trip to Japan and South Korea on his way to the Pyeongchang Games, Pence repeatedly floated the idea of meeting with North Korean officials, only to pass up several opportunities.

Olympics Gamesmanship

“We’ll see what happens,” Pence said, before departing for South Korea.

The North Koreans canceled a meeting within two hours of the scheduled time, according to the Washington Post, which had earlier reported that Pence planned a secret meeting with Kim Yo Jong and Kim Yong Nam. It would’ve been the highest level of engagement between American and North Korean officials in more than a decade.

Moon Jae-in, Kim Yo Jong and Kim Yong Nam in Seoul on Feb. 11.Photographer: KCNA via Getty Images

North Korea pulled out of the meeting after Pence announced new sanctions over Kim’s nuclear weapons program and harshly criticized the regime, Ayers said.

“At the last minute, #DPRK officials decided not to go forward with the meeting,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Twitter, referring the North Korea’s formal name. “We regret their failure to seize this opportunity.”

While in Pyeongchang, Pence’s behavior drew a sharp contrast with that of South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who hosted Kim Yo Jong at a lunch Saturday. The younger Kim invited Moon to a potentially historic meeting with her brother in Pyongyang, although Moon has yet to accept the offer.

Pence missed a group photo organized by South Korea for world leaders before the Games. He stayed for only about five minutes at a reception hosted by Moon, and didn’t interact with Kim Yong Nam, who was also in the room and slated to sit at the same table. At the opening ceremony, Pence didn’t shake hands with Kim Yo Jong, who was just a few feet away.

Moon’s office said Wednesday in Seoul that it had “nothing to share or comment” regarding the Trump administration’s comments.

— With assistance by Kanga Kong