
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to hire more veterans at hospitals across the country.
Trump also signed a memorandum to implement a sweeping rule that will allow the Department of Labor to allow veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to receive unemployment compensation and other benefits.
Veterans who are laid off or injured during the conflicts in the Middle East will not be allowed to be eligible for unemployment benefits under the new rule.
It also extends the authority for veterans who are deployed in combat zones to serve for up to two years.
The new rule applies to veterans who were deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan, who are eligible for the unemployment benefits and who have had their employment terminated by the VA.
The Department of Defense, the military’s civilian counterpart, has been criticized by veterans for its handling of the Veterans Affairs crisis.
The VA has also been accused of retaliating against those who speak out about its handling.