Emerald Coast Times

U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) has issued letters to House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mike Bost and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough, seeking oversight into the VA following reports of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) “support groups” that allegedly exclude white American veterans.

The request was prompted by a report published by the Washington Free Beacon on May 13, 2024. The report highlighted several instances of VA-sponsored “support groups” across the country that purportedly exclude white American veterans from participation, which is in violation of the law and the Constitution.

In his letter to Secretary McDonough, Congressman Gaetz requested information about these “support groups” at the VA. His letter to Chairman Bost sought oversight regarding this alarming revelation.

The text of both letters can be found online, along with exclusive coverage from the Daily Caller.

In his letters, Congressman Gaetz expressed concern over what he described as "outrageous, race-based 'support' groups" operating at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. He pointed out that these programs appear nationwide on the official VA website, indicating a serious policy and oversight problem at the VA.

Gaetz also noted that no federal resources or sponsorship should be given to discriminatory programs. He asked for assistance from Chairman Bost's leadership position on behalf of American veterans of all races.

To Secretary McDonough, Gaetz requested specific information about these programs by June 4, 2024. His inquiries included whether these are official DVA programs, which office manages their websites, what policy documents outline non-discrimination policies for setting up a “support group,” and what approval process is followed for marketing these on the official DVA website.

He also sought details about the lowest component office within DVA responsible for each program identified in the article and what steps DVA is taking to remove these postings and programs from the DVA, along with a timeline.

Finally, he asked for any other DVA programs or documents that address “race-based trauma.”