[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 117 (Tuesday, July 8, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4245-S4246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        VETERANS' ADMINISTRATION

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the VA workforce--Donald Trump and 
Secretary Collins are manufacturing a cynical staffing crisis at the 
Veterans' Administration.
  Earlier this year, we learned that Secretary Collins announced plans 
for a wide-scale, 80,000-plus employee reduction of the workforce at 
the VA, putting the well-being of our veterans at immediate risk. There 
was never any transparency for these plans, and many of the decisions 
were clearly done haphazardly, without thinking through the 
consequences.
  Yesterday, the VA released another alarming announcement, saying they 
are on pace to lose 30,000 staffers without having to resort to a 
reduction in force--as if that made things better. They proposed 
80,000, and because of huge pressure--mainly from our veterans and our 
veterans groups--they backed off. But make no mistake about it, a cut 
of 30,000 will decimate the ability of the VA to provide good 
healthcare to our veterans, who have risked their lives for us.
  Secretary Collins is making the VA so toxic that workers are leaving 
on their own. The workers--I have talked

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to so many of them--are dedicated to helping our veterans, and when 
they see the administration just slashing and burning the VA without 
any concern for the consequences or why people were fired--the bottom 
line is still this: Thanks to Donald Trump and Secretary Collins, tens 
of thousands of highly skilled workers are exiting the VA, and our 
veterans are the ones that suffer.
  I have heard this from veterans over and over again. One story sticks 
out in my mind. A woman who served in Afghanistan got PTSD and was 
treated at the VA hospital near Buffalo, and then, because she saw the 
dedication of those VA workers, she became an employee. She worked 
really hard. She was dedicated to the veterans. She knew she could 
probably make more money in another job. But she got home one Friday 
night and saw on her computer ``You are RIF'd''--which means you are 
fired--with no reason why and not even a chance to come back into the 
office to pick up her mementos she had there--pictures of her loved 
ones.
  Donald Trump likes to pretend that he cares about our armed services 
members and veterans, but actions speak louder than words, and Donald 
Trump's actions when it comes to sabotaging the VA are disgusting. And 
the worst part about what is happening at the VA is the timing. While 
Donald Trump creates a staffing crisis at the VA, his big, ugly bill 
will jeopardize Medicaid coverage for veterans as well as shut down 
hospitals that serve veterans and thereby put even more strain on the 
VA. It is a vicious cycle, a cynical double whammy where veterans pay 
the ultimate price for Donald Trump's cruelty.
  The administration should immediately reverse course and refill these 
positions and make sure the VA operates at full capacity.

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