The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a May 1 oversight hearing with Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to examine the department’s workforce reduction goals, contract cancellations, and impact on veteran care. Committee Chair Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) underscored the need for transparency, criticizing the VA for delayed responses to congressional inquiries and urging clarity on staffing plans and their implications for access to care.
Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) raised alarm over the department’s stated goal to cut the VA workforce, noting that such reductions — particularly of frontline and probationary staff — put services veterans rely on at risk. He also questioned inconsistencies in Collins’ public statements and demanded a full accounting of affected job categories and contracts.
Republican senators largely emphasized the need to reduce bureaucracy while preserving clinical and claims-processing capacity. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) questioned whether prior staffing increases had improved veteran outcomes, while Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) praised recent progress in addressing appointment backlogs. Several GOP members encouraged more collaboration with local hospitals and better use of community care resources.
Democratic senators largely focused on the human impact of the VA’s staffing decisions, highlighting disruptions in mental health access, benefits processing delays, and challenges in underserved areas. Multiple members called for a more targeted and transparent workforce strategy aligned with growing veteran demand under the PACT Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-68) and other recent laws.
- Washington Highlights