Duckworth Presses VA Secretary on Haphazard Restructuring Plan Amidst Trump-Induced Staffing Shortage at the VA

Duckworth Presses VA Secretary on Haphazard Restructuring Plan Amidst Trump-Induced Staffing Shortage at the VA

Senator also secures Secretary's commitment to continue working with her on legislation to improve access to health care for rural Veterans

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) pressed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins on his haphazard plans to restructure the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which comes at a time when the VA is facing a severe staffing shortage as a direct result of the Trump Administration betraying our Veterans and removing 40,000 dedicated civil servants from the agency. During the U.S. Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing, Duckworth continued raising her longstanding concerns that addressing the dire staffing levels should be at the forefront of any conversation about further restructuring at the Department to ensure our heroes' access to care isn't further impaired by this Administration. Video of Duckworth's remarks can be found on the Senator's YouTube.

"The Trump Administration has already gutted the VA of 40,000 dedicated civil servants, betraying our Veterans by impacting their access to care at facilities in Illinois and all over the country," said Duckworth. "If your goal with this plan is to 'free up resources' for Veterans, you must start by restoring staffing levels to ensure timely access to the quality care that our heroes need and have earned through their service."

During the hearing, Duckworth also secured a commitment from Secretary Collins to continue working with her as she seeks to pass her Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act. Duckworth's bill, co-led by fellow SVAC member Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), would help expand access to care for our heroes who live in rural areas by requiring the VA to establish partnerships between its own facilities and other medical facilities in rural areas.

"The VA must ensure it's doing everything possible to fulfill its core mission of providing timely, high-quality care to our heroes-regardless of where they live," continued Duckworth. "My bill would help ensure that Veterans who live in rural communities that may not have a VA hospital nearby can more easily access VA care, and I will hold Mr. Collins to his commitment today to continue working with me on this critical legislation."

Duckworth has been a fierce leader and advocate for improving our Veterans' and servicemembers' access to the care they need. In September, she reintroduced legislation that would improve Veterans' access to contraception and increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness for contraceptive products at the VA. A few weeks prior, Duckworth sent a letter to VA Secretary Collins demanding he block ICE from stealing VA resources at Hines VA Hospital in Chicago.

Duckworth also joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in reintroducing legislation to help make it easier for our Veterans who struggle with infertility to build their families. Earlier last year, Duckworth railed against the Trump Administration for indiscriminately firing Veterans Crisis Line workers and introduced her Protect Veteran Jobs Act with U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) to reinstate the thousands of Veterans who were fired in Trump's mass layoffs-an effort Republicans shamefully blocked in March.

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