The top two senators on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs have expressed concern over the Biden administration’s plan to reduce health care staffing for veterans. In a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, Sens. Jon Tester and Jerry Moran criticized the VA’s decision to pause hiring and cut 10,000 full-time jobs, despite long wait times for care across the nation. They described the VA’s apparent “zero growth” policy as drastic and shortsighted, noting that critical staff and others were supposed to be exempt but that hasn’t been the case in practice.
The senators’ letter highlighted the VA’s hiring spree last year and record number of clinical appointments, while also pointing out that job offers for mental health providers have been rescinded and hiring of housing case managers has been stalled. VA employees have expressed confusion and frustration over the staffing decisions, with concerns about the impact on patient care. The VA Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, mentioned that the workforce could be reduced by 10,000 positions through attrition and voluntary separation, primarily involving roles not directly facing veterans.
In response to questions about the staffing decisions, VA press secretary Terrence Hayes stated that the agency continues to hire in key areas such as mental health care, denying any hiring freeze or layoffs. However, the senators pointed out that veterans are still facing long waits for care and that VA metrics show a decline in average wait times for appointments. They expressed concern about the long-term impacts on the VA’s ability to deliver timely, high-quality care and recruit and retain health care professionals. The VA spokesperson disputed these claims, stating that average wait times are stable or improving for VA services nationwide.
During a congressional hearing, Secretary McDonough acknowledged the difficult choices forced by the federal budget but stated that the VA is well positioned to provide care. The VA has been promoting greater access to care for veterans through night and weekend clinics and “historic enrollment” in VA healthcare driven by the PACT Act, signed into law by President Biden in 2022. The VA has a history of delays in health care, dating back to the Obama administration when then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned due to revelations of deadly delays for veterans waiting for care at VA facilities.
