Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Senate Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

2025-06-24

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs' fiscal year 2026 budget request, focusing on staffing levels, mental health initiatives, electronic health record modernization, and rural access to care. Secretary Douglas A. Collins testified on the department's financial plans, including a $441.2 billion request with significant increases for medical services, mental health, and community care. Key issues discussed include a proposed $18 billion reallocation from veteran medical care to the Toxic Exposure Fund, staffing shortages at facilities like Atlanta and Dublin, and concerns over transparency and leadership accountability. Testimony highlighted veteran frustration with long wait times, inconsistent care, and bureaucratic delays, while also emphasizing VA's efforts to improve electronic health record systems and expand services through partnerships. The committee raised urgent questions about workforce recruitment, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and called for greater transparency on funding decisions, policy changes, and staffing reductions. The hearing underscored the need for operational reforms, improved staff retention, and enhanced oversight to ensure veterans receive timely and equitable care.

Participants

Transcript

in medical care advance appropriations for fiscal year 2027.  Finally, the request includes $262.1 billion in advance for veterans benefits.   Mr. Secretary, I need to say at the outset that because of the significant delays in submitting the budget, the committee has yet to receive detailed budget justification materials from the department.  These materials are essential to the committee's work, and I hope we will see them very soon.  The PACT Act has certainly been a dramatic change for veterans, and I also think VA has a good story to tell about its implementation.   the new veterans enrolling, and the number of PACT Act related claims received and processed.  It also created the Toxic Exposure Fund.  This year's budget request represents more than a $22 billion increase.  The budget request includes a large increase for the electronic medical records program, a total of $3.5 billion.  DOD stumbled out of the gate in its efforts to deploy the system.   But after a pause, it successfully completed deployments throughout the country and abroad.  VA announced that not only are deployments of the system resuming, but they are accelerating.  With well more than $12 billion of taxpayer money invested, it's time to start seeing a return on the investment.   But given the difficulties experienced in the Pacific Northwest, I look forward to hearing more about how these deployed sites will be brought up to standard and how VA plans to execute the new accelerated deployments.  Mr. Secretary, you've been in the headlines recently as VA reviews the size of its workforce.  Members are hearing from our constituents regularly on this, and I look forward to hearing more about your plans to ensure you have the right people in the right places to take care of our veterans.   In addition to updates on those big picture items, we also look forward to hearing details about the department's request for mental health services, including efforts to prevent veteran suicide, initiatives to prevent veterans' homelessness, resources dedicated to care for women's veterans, and efforts to improve care for our rural veterans.
We look forward to discussing these and other issues this morning.   Before we hear from the Secretary, I'd like to recognize my colleague, Senator Ossoff, for any opening comments that he would have.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  A pleasure to be back with you again.
And appreciate our bipartisan working relationship.  And looking forward to continuing our shared efforts to support America's veterans.  I want to welcome you, Secretary Collins, a fellow Georgian.  Thank you for your service.  And before we begin,   As always, but particularly given events in the Middle East over the last several days, I want to express my gratitude to all of those who served the United States with such courage and professionalism.  I know we are all united in praying for the safety of service members as well as diplomats and intelligence professionals who are overseas defending the nation.   As we examine the department's fiscal year 2026, $441 billion request, I want to begin by emphasizing that it is our shared priority on this subcommittee across the aisle to ensure that the men and women who have defended the United States in uniform receive the care, support, and benefits that they've earned.  And I emphasize that word.   earned because VA benefits are not handouts or giveaways.  This is a sacred contract between the nation and those who have defended it, as well as their families.  The purpose of today's hearing is for the Secretary to present the VA's budget request for fiscal year 2026.  I echo the Chairman in expressing my concern at the lack of supplemental materials and budget justification materials, which makes it   very challenging for us to assess the merits of the overall request.  I hope we can get some more details in the course of this hearing.  We see that the overall discretionary and mandatory funding levels for VA have increased.  We recognize, the Chairman also mentioned, in the first two years of the PACT Act, between August of 22 and August of 24, in Georgia alone, Mr. Chairman, more than 6,500 new Georgia veterans enrolled in VA health care.
We have seen 51,000 veterans with PACT Act claims granted.  And, of course, to serve America's veterans, the VA needs to be staffed appropriately to provide care both within and without the walls of VA facilities.  And the VA needs to be welcoming to all veterans who have worn the uniforms.   and to offer programs and assistance that these veterans need.  Mr. Secretary, you've requested a significant increase to expedite the rollout of the electronic health records modernization effort, as well as an increase in the construction accounts.  Perhaps most significantly, and I know of some substantial bipartisan concern, we see a shift of $18 billion away from what Congress advanced last fiscal year for VA medical care,   Those funds have been reprogrammed toward the toxic exposure funds.  Of course, a worthy endeavor and something that was established via the PACT Act, but there is substantial concern about this cut to the medical care account.  Hope we can get some more details on that in the course of this hearing.  And Mr. Secretary, you know that now and long predating your tenure, Georgia veterans and veterans across the country   are deeply frustrated.  They're frustrated by wait times for appointments and care.

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