[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SCRIMPING ON VETERANS' MEDICAL CARE IS UN-AMERICAN

  (Mr. LATIMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, this past December, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs released a proposal to cut 25,000 openings nationwide 
for much-needed nurses and medical staff.
  In the New York City area, this would mean a loss of approximately 
380 positions. While the VA claims these are unneeded openings left 
from the pandemic, its own inspector general reported last August that 
94 percent of VA facilities reported severe staffing shortages for 
medical officer occupations, and 79 percent of facilities reported 
severe shortages for nurses.
  It is baffling, but 250 years on, this Nation still struggles to 
reconcile the way that it treats the men and women who fought for our 
country after they have traded their swords for plowshares. The same 
can be said for the caregivers who tend to their wounds, both physical 
and psychological, in the years after their service.
  Scrimping on veterans' medical care or diverting its availability is 
un-American, and it sends the message to our citizens that this 
government will not keep its part of the bargain.
  I demand that this government invest in the VA system rather than 
seek its demise. The brave men and women who sacrificed to defend our 
country deserve better.

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