Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Accelerates Veterans’ Access to Benefits and Employment Opportunities

The White House

EXPANDING ACCESS AND CREATING OPPORTUNITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to modernize data management and data sharing between the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs in order to expedite veterans’ access to benefits.  

  • The Order directs the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update information technology systems to ensure the sharing of all Official Military Personnel Files and Service Treatment Records from the moment an individual enters into military service through the duration the individual receives Veterans Affairs benefits.
  • The Order directs the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create and deploy new digital tools, using secure artificial intelligence and other emerging capabilities consistent with applicable privacy protections, to streamline veterans’ applications for and access to benefits earned in their military service in a single comprehensive source.
  • The Order directs the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to coordinate with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure current and future information technology contracts facilitate electronic sharing of personnel and medical files consistent with applicable privacy protections.
  • The Order directs the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to overhaul the Transition Assistance to improve career guidance, including job opportunities and training opportunities, to service members leaving active-duty service and to proactively connect transitioning service members with a veterans specialist from federal, state, or local governments who can help them facilitate their benefit applications.

REMOVING ANTIQUATED SYSTEM BARRIERS TO DELIVER RESULTS: President Trump is removing the inefficiencies and delays that hinder our service members and veterans from receiving the benefits and support they deserve.

  • Millions of brave men and women have served in our Armed Forces with courage, commitment, and sacrifice, guaranteeing our security, prosperity, and freedom.  These veterans deserve the best available services in return. 
  • Federal law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to use Department of War records to determine benefit eligibility for veterans. 
  • Due to outdated systems inherited from the prior administration, the transfer of records takes an average of 90 to 180 days to complete, complicating service members’ transition from active-duty service to civilian life, and delaying their healthcare coverage, benefits processing, educational opportunities, and job training and placement.  
  • Modern technology for electronic records management presents an opportunity to rectify this problem.
  • Proactive sharing of military personnel and medical files is particularly crucial for National Guard and Reserve component personnel who frequently move between active duty status and Veterans Affairs-eligibility status.
  • The current Transition Assistance Program framework often leaves service members confused or without guidance on how to apply benefits or access employment opportunity programs.   

AGGRESSIVELY DELIVERING LIFE-CHANGING SUPPORT AND BENEFITS: President Trump dramatically expanded veterans’ access to healthcare, education, and job opportunities. 

  • President Trump is overhauling the outdated records management and transfer process, bringing it into the 21stcentury using digital solutions to rapidly connect veterans to healthcare, disability benefits, education and training opportunities, and the workforce.
  • In his first term, President Trump signed an Executive Order supporting veterans during their transition from uniformed service to civilian life. This crucial Executive Order provided veterans access to high-quality mental healthcare and suicide prevention resources as they transition, with an emphasis on the one-year period following separation.
  • In April 2025, the Office of Management and Budget and the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, issued two revised policies to facilitate responsible AI adoption to improve public services.
  • In May 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to increase options for care, benefits, and services for our veterans. This included reduced wait times for Veterans Health Administration appointments through options such as expanded hours, weekend appointments, and virtual healthcare.
  • In November 2025, the Trump administration eliminated the entire backlog for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) healthcare program after inheriting more than 70,000 unprocessed applications from the Biden administration.
  • As of July 2026, the Trump administration dropped the backlog of veterans waiting for VA benefits to below 70,000 for the first time since 2020.
  • In July 2026, President Trump announced Freedom Haulers, a Department of Transportation-led effort implementing a fast-track program for military service members to attain Commercial Driver’s License certification. 

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