WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 – After the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dismissed more than 1,000 employees last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today sent a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins urging him to reverse the layoffs to ensure that America’s veterans have the health care they deserve – especially as VA facilities across the country already face severe understaffing challenges. Earlier this month, Sanders voted to confirm Collins as VA secretary.
“One of the reasons I voted for you to become Secretary of Veterans Affairs was your promise to protect the needs of veterans and oppose the privatization of the VA. And then, in your first few weeks on the job, you lay off over 1,000 VA employees at a department that is already understaffed,” wrote Sanders. “There is no way that these layoffs will not negatively impact the veterans of our country in terms of the health care and benefits they receive.”
These reductions to the VA’s workforce come after the VA Office of Inspector General in August detailed existing “severe occupational staffing shortages” that delay care for veterans in Vermont and across the country. This chronic understaffing included an astounding 86% of facilities reporting shortages of medical officers including physicians, and 82% of facilities reporting shortages of nurses. Among the 139 facilities the VA surveyed for this report, all but two reported significant understaffing.
In his letter, Sanders also calls out the Trump administration’s defense of these layoffs – which they claim will save the department only $98 million – as the administration simultaneously proposes more than $1 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
“In other words, you are sacrificing the needs of veterans, who put their lives on the line to defend our country, in order to make billionaires even richer. That is unacceptable,” continued Sanders. “I am writing to demand that you rescind these layoffs and restore these workers, many of whom are themselves veterans, to their jobs.”
Read the text of the letter here and below.
One of the reasons I voted for you to become Secretary of Veterans Affairs was your promise to protect the needs of veterans and oppose the privatization of the VA. And then, in your first few weeks on the job, you lay off over 1,000 VA employees at a department that is already understaffed. There is no way that these layoffs will not negatively impact the veterans of our country in terms of the health care and benefits they receive.
I am writing to demand that you rescind these layoffs and restore these workers, many of whom are themselves veterans, to their jobs.
In defending these layoffs, the VA states that, “The personnel moves save the department more than $98 million per year.” As I am sure you are aware, the Trump administration is proposing to provide the wealthiest people in this country with over $1 trillion in tax breaks. In other words, you are sacrificing the needs of veterans, who put their lives on the line to defend our country, in order to make billionaires even richer. That is unacceptable.
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
