[Pages S1678-S1680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

VETERANS SERVICES

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, my thanks to Senator Thune for
yielding and the Presiding Officer for presiding over the balance of
the day.
I am here with sadness--not for the first time and, tragically, not
for the last, I fear--because I am here to speak to the decimation and
destruction of veterans services ongoing in real time, right before our
eyes, affecting real people in their daily lives. And it is a tragedy
and a travesty because the people affected are our Nation's heroes,
whom we all say we respect, but in practice, right now, Elon Musk and
Donald Trump have launched an assault to degrade and denigrate.
Donald Trump has called veterans suckers. Elon Musk shows the same
kind of disrespect in the cuts, in hiring freezes, and in reductions in
amounts of research--a panoply, a tsunami, of cuts in both resources
and workers that are essential to the VA's functions in providing
healthcare as well as PACT Act benefits that veterans have earned. They
deserve them without delay. And this assault on veterans is
unprecedented in our Nation's history.
We had a hearing this morning in the VA Committee on various pieces
of legislation, some of them probably positive in the effects that they
may have if we pass them. I have cosponsored some of them and will
support others. But their meaning and effect will be absolutely
eviscerated if these cuts--including 80,000 workers in addition to the
2,400 already fired--are, in fact, discharged in the future.
The plan that the Secretary of the VA has stated--it is his word,
``plan''--is to fire 80,000 workers. It is his goal. He said it in an
interview, and I ask unanimous consent that that interview be printed
in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

[From Fox News, Mar. 11, 2025]

Changes That Actually Help Our Veterans': VA Secretary Defends Proposed
15% Workforce Reduction

(By Deirdre Heavey)

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has been steadfast
in his commitment to shake up the department. And, despite
firing at least 2,400 employees, Collins pledges to maintain
the VA's commitment to preserving and improving healthcare
benefits for veterans.
``VA's biggest problem is that its bureaucracy and
inefficiencies are getting in the way of customer convenience
and service to veterans. As I have said before, we owe
American veterans and hundreds of thousands of amazing
employees solutions. And mark my words, that is what we will
deliver,'' Collins said in a video posted on X last week.
Collins said the VA dismissals are part of President Donald
Trump's commitment to making government more efficient and
effective, in conjunction with Elon Musk's Department of
Government Efficiency (DOGE). The VA announced that last
month's personnel moves will save more than $83 million
annually, and they will ``redirect all of those resources
back toward health care, benefits and services for VA
beneficiaries.''
Collins, who has faced criticism for his proposed 15%
workforce reduction, confirmed the VA's goal to cut 80,000
jobs during a ``Fox & Friends'' interview with Brian Kilmeade
on Monday.
``Please, before Democrats or anybody else start on this
path, this is going to be a deliberative process that's going
to take some time that's going to include career VA
employees. It's going to include senior executives. It's
going to include all across, even bringing in people if need
be, to take a look at: are we being efficient?'' Collins told
Kilmeade.
Collins has shut down criticism from the mainstream media
and Democrats who have slammed VA cuts, reminding Kilmeade on
Monday that operational issues have long plagued the VA.
``Let's all agree on something that for the past 10 years,
the GAO has reported that the VA healthcare has been at a
high-risk. In other words, they're on the high-risk list for
not only the possibility of fraud, waste and abuse, but also
in patient quality, patient care. This has been going on for
10 years. It's interesting to me that they're looking at wait
times. These are things that have preceded me coming in. I've
been here for weeks, but it's interesting that there's no
solutions being proposed,'' Collins said.
Veterans have reported poor healthcare conditions at the VA
for decades, including long wait times, delayed care, slow
processing times and corruption. While the Trump
administration's VA has only investigated 2% of their
contracts so far, Collins said they have already identified
600 non-mission-critical or duplicate agreements to save
almost $1 billion. Collins said that money can be reinvested
into making ``changes that actually help our veterans.''
``The money we're saving by eliminating non-mission
critical and duplicative contracts is money we're going to
redirect to veterans facing healthcare benefits and services,
resulting in massive improvements in customer service and
convenience. Improving services to the veterans is exactly
why the VA exists. That is what everyone--Congress, the media
and VA employees--should be focused on,'' Collins said.
Collins has emphasized there will be no cuts to healthcare
or benefits for veterans.
``We're going to accomplish this without making cuts to
healthcare or benefits to veterans and VA beneficiaries. VA
will always fulfill its duty to provide veterans, families,
caregivers and survivors the healthcare and benefits they
have earned. That's a promise. And while we conduct our
review, VA will continue to hire for more than 300,000
mission-critical positions to ensure healthcare and benefits
for VA beneficiaries are not impacted,'' Collins said.
Despite Collins' reassurances, Democrats have slammed the
Trump administration and DOGE for VA cuts. House Minority
Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., led a press conference with
fellow Democrats on the issue last week at the U.S. Capitol.
``Why lay off veterans? I mean, 30% of the federal
workforce is veterans, including a lot of people who've been
laid off at the CFPB. Can you at least show some compassion
to veterans?'' Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital
following a meeting with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
employees who were impacted by federal workforce reductions.
``They're going to gut the Department of Veterans Affairs,
jeopardizing the health and well-being of millions of
veterans,'' Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said at a rally in
Wisconsin on Friday.
``Cutting the VA and some of the proposals I've seen are
going to hurt service to veterans. So let's agree that that's
a bad idea. Bipartisan. It's a bad idea to do that,'' Sen.
Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.. told NBC's ``Meet the Press'' on
Sunday.
``I go to the VA myself, so I see every day the waiting
lists, the long lines to get care, how long it takes to get
an appointment. All of that is going to get worse,'' Rep.
Seth Moulton, D-Mass., told MSNBC on Saturday.
Veterans have been speaking out against the proposed VA
cuts as well. Veterans are organizing a protest against VA
cuts and ``Project 2025'' on Friday, March 14, in Washington,
D.C., and at state capitals across the country.
VoteVets, a progressive political action committee,
released a memo last week outlining the ``extensive damage in
the department's ability to process and pay out benefits.''
However, Collins said firing nonessential employees and
reevaluating contracts is how the Trump administration is
``finally going to give the veterans what they want.''
``The VA has been a punching bag among veterans, Congress
and the media for decades. Things need to change. We owe
America's veterans and the hundreds and thousands of
excellent VA employees solutions. For many years, veterans
have been asking for a more efficient, accountable and
transparent VA. This administration is finally going to give
the veterans what they want,'' Collins said.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, but we did learn in this legislative
hearing that, in fact, there is no plan. The 80,000-worker target for
firing is in the absence of any plan. It is the target. It is the goal.
It is the intention: Fire now, plan later. No plan, no metrics, no
methodology, no strategy for right-sizing the VA.
Now, we know a right-sized VA needs every one of those 2,400 workers
who have been discharged now. It needs every one of the 80,000 that are
targeted in the next few months to be fired. And we learned this
morning that there are, in fact, open positions--36,000 of them,
including more than 3,000 positions for doctors, thousands others for
nurses, thousands for the custodians who maintain the VA healthcare
properties.
We are talking about real people who will be fired who are on the job
doing essential work right now, and we are talking about discharging
people when there are open positions, a need for more doctors, nurses,
and others. How is that going to work for recruiting? Not so well when
the VA is firing exactly the people whose positions it is trying to
fill. That is absolutely a disgrace, and it will be seen as a disgrace
by anybody wanting to serve in the VA.
We also learned today that the VA is focusing on legislative measures
that will make it easier to fire people, that will more readily enable
it to discharge people without stating a reason, without a performance-
related reason for firing them.
So we are seeing the biggest attack and assault on veterans' access
to care and benefits at least in a generation and maybe in our history,
and Trump and Musk have already fired more veterans than any
administration before now.

[[Page S1679]]

But the numbers fail to adequately tell the story because it is a
story of heartbreaking loss as a result of heartless decisions--loss of
healthcare on a timely basis, loss of benefits, fear from people who
have earned the right to security when it comes to healthcare or the
PACT Act.
Over the weekend, there was an article in the New York Times that
described some of this real impact going on right now: a VA clinical
trial for treating advanced cancers of the mouth put on hold; a VA
supply technician whose role was described as critical, fired; a vet
center office manager fired, leaving therapists, who should be treating
patients, using their precious time sitting at the front desk to check
in the patients.
Talk about waste. What we are seeing in real time is not just
heartless, heartbreaking firing and deprivation of care; we are seeing
waste of talents and time that cry out for action. And in fact, we are
hearing that cry from thousands of constituents of my colleagues from
all around the country.
This chart shows where we have received complaints and stories from
people. Some of their words are here:

Please do not let this administration take all of this away
from not only me, but thousands of other Veterans in my
similar situation.
I'm a spouse of a 100 percent permanent and total disabled
veteran with two young kids. I am scared to fight back and
have them target me to eliminate my job entirely, so I just
have to take it to protect my family's only income.
The VA provides the veterans community with excellent
healthcare in my area, and anything done to devalue that care
or its facilities would be detrimental to the veteran
community.

The blue represents the States that we have heard from--almost every
State in the country, some with many different complaints but all of
them expressing fear, apprehension, and anger at what they see as the
looming additional cuts in care coming to their communities.
This administration, very simply, is failing to put veterans first.
Let me tell you about a veteran who knows that it is failing to put
him first, a veteran on the west coast who shared his story.

I lost part of my foot serving this country, and now,
people with zero military experience are gutting the benefits
Veterans have earned.

And he continued:

If it were not for the VA, I would not have been able to be
in the position I am in now. I own a home and I am able to
manage my anxiety with therapy and medication.

He was homeless in 2012. He would go to the library every day to
search for--he was not receiving any VA benefits. He didn't know he was
eligible. Once he knew about it and he signed up and the healthcare and
disability benefits began, he was ``propelled . . . into success.'' He
was able to rent an apartment, purchase a car, get a job--``all thanks
to the VA.'' ``All thanks to the VA.''
And his final comment was:

Please do not let this administration take all of that away
from not only me, but thousands of other Veterans in my
similar situation.

He knows this administration is not putting veterans first.
What I was hoping to hear in today's hearing was a call to action.
Well, we didn't hear a call to action. In fact, we didn't even hear
from the Secretary of the VA, who has dodged our questions, refused to
answer them, who has failed to be transparent with our committee and
with Members of Congress. I was hoping that he would be there or at
least that he would be invited to a date certain, but none of it
happened.
Instead, the agenda included legislation that attempts to make it
even easier for the VA to fire employees. It ignores what is happening
on the ground, ignoring the illegal mass terminations of those 2,400 VA
employees, with tens of thousands of firings now in the works. That is
no way to put veterans first. It is illegal; it is unlawful; it is
reckless; and it is morally repugnant because it involves breaking
promises.
A great nation keeps its promises, as we promised to veterans that we
would provide for their healthcare, that we would give them the
benefits of the PACT Act, that we would care for them after they were
exposed to toxic chemicals, that we would give them skilled training
and job assistance--all of it now potentially ended, at least for a lot
of those veterans, because there is a funny thing about service: It is
difficult to provide service in an empty office with an empty chair
behind an empty desk. Service really does consist of people helping
each other. Veterans know it better than anyone because peer-to-peer
veterans programs work better than any other kind, and it is one of the
reasons why it is important that 30 percent of the Veterans'
Administration workforce are themselves veterans. They help each other.
It is no accident that many of those provisional employees who were
fired--they are the ones who were fired first--are veterans as well
because they are coming out of the service and they are looking for
meaningful and productive ways to help other veterans.
I am introducing this week a measure called the Putting Veterans
First Act. Essentially, it is a comprehensive effort to ``stop the
bleeding.'' I am quoting the commander-in-chief of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars--``stop the bleeding.'' Put pressure on and ``stop the
bleeding'' is what he told us in one of our hearings.
The best way to stop this administration from actively robbing and
rolling back our recent bipartisan accomplishments, canceling contracts
critical to the implementation of the Dole Act or the Deborah Sampson
Act, firing thousands of workers critical to the basic functioning of
the PACT Act, from the schedulers who connect veterans to care to the
claims staff who process those PACT Act claims--the best way to stop
the bleeding is to put veterans first.
No. 1, hire back all of the veterans who have been fired. No matter
what the Agency, hire back those veterans along with all of the
military spouses, the veteran caregivers, survivors, members of the
Guard and Reserve. They, too, served. Hire back all the VA employees
who have been fired, whether or not they are veterans or military
spouses or veteran caregivers, survivors, members of the Guard and
Reserve--everyone that has been fired from the VA.
Then, if the administration wants to eliminate waste and fraud, let's
have some standards, performance-based standards, not just ``You are
fired because we don't need you'' when, in fact, they are needed. But
more to the point, any sort of firing ought to be based on individual
performance.
Nobody is arguing here that there is no waste in the VA. Nobody is
arguing that there is no waste in other Agencies of the Federal
Government any more than we would argue there is no waste in any
American corporation. Everybody knows there is waste. The trick is to
eliminate the waste without throwing the baby out with the bathwater--
or to use a much more direct analogy that came from Al Lipphardt, the
commander-in-chief of the VFW--when he was wounded in Vietnam, the
surgeon took shrapnel out of his arm with a scalpel; he didn't amputate
the arm.
Exactly the same choice faces us here--performance-based criteria and
standards and a means of appeal for those employees who may be
terminated, a means of readily bringing their claim about improper
firing to some kind of appeal that is based on performance and merit.
It ought to be a matter of merit, not just money, not just slashing and
trashing--merit, and then hiring to replace that person. If that person
has no merit, fill the position so the job can be done because the need
is there. Of course, notice to Congress, to labor partners, and
impacted employees before instituting any changes to telework or remote
work policies, allowing time for employees to submit reasonable
accommodation requests to their supervisors, which would help a
veteran, spouse, and caregiver. I have been contacted by those kinds of
spouses, like the spouse of a 100-percent disabled veteran with two
kids:

I have worked for the Feds for 20 years. My spouse was
Active Duty. I am also ADA disabled myself, performed full-
time telework for 5 years successfully, including preCOVID
with reasonable accommodation. The Agency is re-adjudicating
my lifelong disabilities and telework accommodations, even
though the prior one approved had no expiration date.

When Trump or Musk talk about mandating return to office--I
personally love being in the office. As a former prosecutor, I think
being in the office makes managing a workforce

[[Page S1680]]

easier in some institutions but not all and not for all employees and
certainly not for the disabled veteran who wrote to me. This employee
has outstanding performance reviews, and her duties haven't changed.
The only change here is the one prompted by President Trump's draconian
return-to-office policy.
The Putting Veterans First Act would take other commonsense veterans-
first action, such as prohibiting--and this one is really important--
prohibiting unauthorized, unlawful access to veterans' data and VA
systems by unqualified, uninformed tech bros.
Well, we know what is happening in the VA. Elon Musk's tech bro elves
are muscling and plundering their way through the VA's database.
Now, you may say: What is harmful about access to private,
confidential, sensitive information potentially about healthcare?
Well, it is an invasion of privacy, but No. 2, it is also illegal. It
is potentially a monetization of your information, used for Elon Musk's
corporations to make more money or to be shared with his fellow
billionaires so they can make more money.
That invasion of privacy, the monetization and possibly weaponization
of that information, would be prohibited by the Putting Veterans First
Act. It is comprehensive, it is specific, and it makes a priority of
protecting veterans and putting them first.
Now, I don't want to exaggerate the chances of this measure passing
in the next month. I am very clear-eyed. I recognize that the
administration will put a full-court press against us, that Elon Musk
will perhaps denounce it. But I think we have on our side an
indomitable, undefeatable, and indefatigable force, and that is
veterans, because I am listening to the veterans service organizations
who came before our committee on prior days and this morning,
representatives from the American Legion, Mr. Coyle from the VFW, and
Mr. Murray. We have heard from other organizations that have expressed
their concerns about what is happening at the VA. They can put a face
and voice to this issue. Their support for putting veterans first can
make an absolutely critical difference.
So I want to make a plea to our veterans: You may feel you don't need
it, but there is no question you deserve it.
The ones who need it really deserve it as well. They deserve to be
put first. They deserve to have no fear or uncertainty or insecurity
about whether they live in a State that will not be receiving the kind
of benefits and care under the PACT Act or their VA facility won't be
renovated or their doctor will be gone or nurses will be missing, their
positions unfilled. They deserve to know with the kind of certainty
they have earned.
We all talk about our veterans as heroes, which they are, but let's
put our money where our mouths are. Let's be measured by what we do,
not what we say. And I am extending an arm and a hand to my colleagues
across the aisle to join me in this comprehensive bill that guarantees
veterans what they have earned and what they deserve against someone
whom we didn't choose--nobody did except Donald Trump. Elon Musk is
unelected, unappointed, and unconfirmed, and his DOGE boys are
depriving our veterans of what they have earned.
We can't lose hope or energy. We can't abandon our veterans. We can't
surrender in this battle. Our veterans have served, and they can
continue to serve by helping their brothers and sisters make sure that
the Veterans' Administration puts veterans first.
I yield the floor.

____________________