[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 118 (Wednesday, July 9, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4266-S4267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Department of Veterans Affairs

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am here to sound the alarm--to make 
my colleagues aware--of the crisis that faces us. It challenges all 
veterans. It faces the United States of America because of the chaos 
and confusion that continues at the Veterans Health Administration and 
the sliding downward of service that is available to our Nation's 
heroes.
  On Monday, VA Secretary Doug Collins announced that he would be 
abandoning his disastrous plan to fire 83,000 VA employees, and the 
reason is pretty simple: The Trump administration is set to lose 30,000 
employees at the end of the year. That number is incredibly worrisome. 
It is a significant number. The VA typically has a net gain of 10,000 
VA employees every year. Yet, this year, it stands to lose more than 
30,000 of its workforce, despite serving more veterans than ever 
before--significantly more--because of the PACT Act.
  So, at a time when the VA already has 40,000 vacancies in veterans' 
healthcare, this administration ought to be focused on hiring more 
employees, not touting how its employees are abandoning the VA--fleeing 
a toxic work environment and a demoralizing work environment. They are 
fleeing the VA because of a failed and failing leadership.

  Now, the reason why the VA Secretary has abandoned this plan to fire 
83,000 people is, essentially, unexplained. There is no transparency. 
He has denied us information about who would have been fired. He has 
refused to provide information about the 30,000 individual workers who 
are leaving and what positions they hold.
  But here is what we know for sure. Only because of the blistering 
backlash of veterans themselves, the veterans service organizations 
that represent them, Members of Congress like myself, and the public, 
is he, in fact, abandoning this cruel and stupid plan, which has never 
been explained. He is abandoning it because of the protests of veterans 
and VSOs who spoke out. And I thank them. I am here to say ``thank 
you'' to the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the DVA, the 
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans--I could go through the entire list. And 
to all the veterans posts and organizations, thank you for helping to 
save those jobs and those workers who would have been fired--by the 
way, a third of them veterans themselves.
  But this 30,000 number is no cause for relief or complacency. In 
fact, it is unconscionable because it will undercut veterans' care and 
benefits. We have already seen some of the impacts of this haphazard 
effort to force hard-working public servants out of the VA because of a 
toxic work environment created by this administration and DOGE's slash-
and-trash policy.
  VA nurses across the country are having to perform mandatory 
overtime. Lifesaving clinical trials have been canceled. Veterans are 
being directed to call the Veterans Crisis Line instead of regular 
appointments as mental health providers leave the VA in droves.
  This announcement by the VA Secretary makes clear that the VA, 
essentially, is bleeding employees across the board. And the loss of 
key people includes clinical staff: doctors, nurses. There are already 
40,000 vacancies. How can the VA possibly recruit talented, skilled, 
dedicated employees when they know they will be fired at any moment?
  We know that a lot of the people leaving or declining jobs at the VA 
because of this chaos are, in fact, the professionals who deliver 
medical care--like doctors and nurses--to veterans. These positions are 
already facing shortages, especially in rural areas. How will rural 
veterans fare between the bleeding out of the VA employees when many 
rural hospitals are now set to shutter their doors under the 
President's ``Big Beautiful Betrayal,'' the bill he just signed into 
law?
  Make no mistake, this attrition is not natural. It is not natural 
attrition to lose 30,000 employees when the ordinary rate is to hire 
10,000 per year. It is a reduction in force. You can call it what you 
will, but it is essentially a purposeful and intentional reduction in 
the workers necessary to provide medical care and benefits to veterans. 
It is shameful to ruin a great institution. And veterans' healthcare 
has provided world-class, gold-standard care to countless heroes across 
the country. This administration is decimating that institution.
  American veterans deserve nothing less than for every single Member 
of this body to call out and challenge these damaging policies--not 
applaud them as some measure of success or even to sanction them by our 
silence. We need to speak out, stand up for our veterans. Now is the 
time, before the damage escalates and becomes more serious.
  I am absolutely anguished and furious about these cuts, which not 
only destroy an institution but endanger our veterans who want to go to 
VA clinics and hospitals like the ones we have in Connecticut in West 
Haven or in Newington, rural hospitals that will be shuttered, clinics 
providing telehealth--all of the people who are necessary to provide 
those services, whether they are the technicians or the clinician or 
the janitors who are part of a team. And the VA thrives on teamwork.
  As things stand, 30,000 VA employees will lose their jobs. That is 
not what America should be tolerating or celebrating on Independence 
Day and this time in our Nation's history.

[[Page S4267]]

  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask that the scheduled vote be 
commenced immediately.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.