Jerry Moran Asks VA Sec. Doug Collins To Clear Up 'The Facts' About Veterans Crisis Line Staffing

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During a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing last week, Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) spoke about the Veterans Crisis Line.

Transcript

00:00Mr. Chairman.

00:02Senator Rubin-Full, thank you.

00:03Just a couple of wrap-ups from me, Mr. Secretary.

00:06I wanted to give you the opportunity and maybe just to educate me.

00:10What's the facts with the Veteran Crisis Hotline?

00:15The facts on that were is the original, as we protected all those who actually answered the phone.

00:20And this was a concern that came up many times because I started seeing in the press,

00:24it was accusations from the Hill and other places that we had actually fired the ones who were actually answering the phones.

00:29The answer to that, even from career folks, was that was not true.

00:33What we did have is we found there were some that were staff that were let go.

00:38When we immediately looked at that, I made the decision that we would make everybody back in,

00:41would protect the entire group because we didn't want anybody to falsely accuse that we were not answering the lines.

00:47And so today, is the crisis hotline any less or more, have more or less personnel than it did before this episode?

00:56I think it's still at the same lines as it has in the last one.

00:59The people that were let go that you returned came back?

01:03They're back. Yes. Yes, they're back.

01:04Okay.

01:04And then you answered my question about your interest in an IG and believe in its value.

01:10Would you also ask the White House for an IG for the department?

01:14We already have.

01:15Okay. That's my question.

01:17Mr. Secretary, anything you want to, I often ask, this isn't just a treatment of you, the witnesses,

01:23if they have anything they want to clarify or correct.

01:27No, look, I appreciate it.

01:29I appreciate the ranking member.

01:30We have the same goals, I think all of us on this diet.

01:33We're going to disagree, and we're going to disagree about how to go about it.

01:36But there's several things, Mr. Chairman, that I'm not going to do, and I'm not going to,

01:39and I don't think it's fair to VA employees, and I don't think it's fair to veterans,

01:42to take things that are pre-decisional.

01:44Many of the things that have been discussed today were leaked memos designed to disrupt.

01:48They were designed to make the VA look bad or make veterans scared.

01:54I'm not going to do that.

01:55I'm going to challenge anyone that's going to hurt or scare a veteran or scare employees.

01:59We're going to give you everything that we can at the time.

02:02I promise you that, and I continue to do that.

02:03We've had conversations, you and I have.

02:05But when we're doing something as large as we are at an organization that's sensitive on this hill,

02:11it would not be right for us to do that in public.

02:14It would not be right for us to just come out and say,

02:17here's everything that we got, and then have everybody scared,

02:19because in the end it may not be the final decision.

02:21What we're going to do is come to the best possible decision we can for the veterans in this country

02:26so that they have a VA system that actually works.

02:29And when we understand that, again, the VA has been an issue for a long time.

02:33We're trying to not make it an issue anymore.

02:35We're trying to get it to the point where it is doing what it's supposed to be doing

02:38and taking care of the veterans that are earned.

02:39And I appreciate the chance to be here today.

02:41And I would just encourage you, it would be a mistake if I didn't,

02:45to see if your crew can answer our team, both minority and majority staff's, questions fully and promptly.

02:53Yeah, one other thing, can I say one other thing about that?

02:56Since, I've been in about 90 days, we have answered from ranking member Blumenthal and SVAC minority alone.

03:03We have responded to 78 RFIs, 11 briefings, 9 technical assistance calls,

03:074 technical assistance are in progress, and many, many visits.

03:11We've also recommended, answered 19 letters from Senator Blumenthal and Chairman Moran, 68 letters and RFIs.

03:18Now, we may not like, you may not like the answers, and that's fine.

03:21That was my mistake, because we're going to start this conversation all over again now.

03:25Yeah.

03:25So, I just want to make it clear.

03:27We're going to do that.

03:28Just so you don't.

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