Jan. 27 (UPI) — Officials with Veterans Affairs announced on Monday that the department had completed the “initial implementation” of President Donald Trump’s executive order to end DEI programs, putting 60 employees on leave.
The move comes a week after the Trump administration ordered all diversity, equity and inclusion federal employees to be placed on paid leave. Trump has promoted ending DEI initiatives and programs at the federal level and in general.
In a release, VA officials said the combined annual salary — which it identified as base pay, locality pay and additional earnings — of the affected employees totals more than $8 million.
The department said it also has targeted “several contracts for DEI-related trainings, materials and other consulting services” that it is trying to cancel, saying those contracts total more than $6.1 million.
“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.
Additionally, VA officials said the department is taking down “a variety of DEI-related media from its various digital properties.”
The move comes as political conservatives continue to oppose DEI efforts in public and private arenas.
Earlier this month, social media giant Meta said it was ending its DEI policies, citing “shifting political realities.” And in this past summer, home improvement chain Lowe’s said it was ending its similar programs.
Also last year, Alabama’s Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill to stop DEI supporters from pushing what she called a “liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe.”
And in the spring, the University of Florida announced it was firing all employees in positions related to DEI at the public university, saying it was doing so to abide by state law that banned the use of state and federal funds for DEI at public colleges. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called such DEI programs “discriminatory initiatives.”
Later on Monday, according to reports, Trump is expected to sign several executive orders — one ending DEI in military programs, and one that bans transgender people from serving in the military.
