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During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last month, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) spoke about the transparency issues in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Transcript
00:00From the Secretary, I'd like to recognize my colleague, Senator Ossoff, for any opening
00:04comments that he would have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A pleasure to be back with you again.
00:10That's good. And appreciate our bipartisan working relationship and looking forward to
00:16continuing our shared efforts to support America's veterans. I want to welcome you,
00:21Secretary Collins, a fellow Georgian. Thank you for your service. And before we begin,
00:27as always, but particularly given events in the Middle East over the last several days,
00:32I want to express my gratitude to all of those who serve the United States with such courage and
00:38professionalism. I know we are all united and praying for the safety of service members,
00:44as well as diplomats and intelligence professionals who are overseas defending the nation.
00:49As we examine the department's fiscal year 2026, $441 billion request, I want to begin by emphasizing,
01:00but it is our shared priority on this subcommittee across the aisle to ensure that the men and women
01:06who have defended the United States in uniform receive the care, support, and benefits that
01:11they've earned. And I emphasize that word earned because VA benefits are not handouts or giveaways.
01:19This is a sacred contract between the nation and those who have defended it, as well as their families.
01:26The purpose of today's hearing is for the Secretary to present the VA's budget request for fiscal year
01:342026. I echo the chairman in expressing my concern at the lack of supplemental materials and budget
01:41justification materials, which makes it very challenging for us to assess the merits of the
01:47overall request. I hope we can get some more details in the course of this hearing. We see that
01:52the overall discretionary and mandatory funding levels for VA have increased. We recognize,
01:58the chairman also mentioned, in the first two years of the PACT Act between August of 22 and August of
02:0424, in Georgia alone, Mr. Chairman, more than 6,500 New Georgia veterans enrolled in VA health care.
02:12We have seen 51,000 veterans with PACT Act claims granted. And of course, to serve America's veterans,
02:21the VA needs to be staffed appropriately to provide care both within and without the walls of VA facilities.
02:28And the VA needs to be welcoming to all veterans who have worn the uniform and to offer programs and
02:33assistance that these veterans need. Mr. Secretary, you've requested a significant increase to expedite
02:40the rollout of the electronic health records modernization effort, as well as an increase in
02:44the construction accounts. Perhaps most significantly, and I know of some substantial bipartisan concern,
02:50we see a shift of $18 billion away from what Congress advanced last fiscal year for VA medical care.
02:58Those funds have been reprogrammed toward the toxic exposure funds, of course, a worthy endeavor and
03:03something that was established via the PACT Act. But there is substantial concern about this cut to the
03:10medical care account. Hope we can get some more details on that in the course of this hearing. And Mr. Secretary,
03:16you know that now and long predating your tenure, Georgia veterans and veterans across the country are deeply frustrated.
03:25They're frustrated by wait times for appointments and care. They're frustrated by years-long adjudication
03:31of their claims and the feeling that they're just slamming their head into a brick wall when they try to
03:37claim the benefits they've earned through their service. Veterans are frustrated that they can't get answers
03:43and basic information from the department. And frankly, Mr. Secretary, members of Congress are frustrated
03:49that we can't get basic answers and information from the department. And if you step back and think about it,
03:55if United States senators can't get transparency from the VA, what hope is there for the rest of the country?
04:02Mr. Secretary, when you came and met with me in advance of your confirmation, you promised me,
04:09but as a former member of Congress, you understood the vital role of congressional oversight and pledged
04:14to be transparent and responsive. But to be very candid with you, so far this year, although I've
04:20appreciated our opportunities to speak, the department has been unresponsive to congressional oversight and
04:26has acted unilaterally without consultation of Congress in ways that I think you're aware have
04:31caused substantial concern and opposition on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress.
04:38So I appreciate that you've been willing to get on the phone when I call, but Mr. Secretary, with all due
04:42respect, I don't call just to hear the sound of your voice. I want to make sure the department is
04:47providing this subcommittee with the information that members of Congress have requested so that we can
04:52make sound decisions on behalf of our constituents and America's veterans. So we are not off to a
04:57great start when it comes to transparency and responsiveness, but I'm hoping that that can change
05:03and we can build an effective working relationship. There are a few core concerns where we need more
05:09transparency with respect to contract cancellations, the VASP program, staffing levels, the budget
05:17justification, supplementary materials that this subcommittee receives almost always in advance
05:23of this hearing, but which we lack today. And members of this subcommittee and members of the Senate,
05:31Mr. Secretary, are going to continue to ask for information about your plans and intentions and
05:38department operations, because as you know from your time in Congress, that's our job. It's what we were
05:42elected to do. We can't legislate just based on someone's word or promise. We have to verify
05:51and understand precisely what you and other members of the executive branch are doing.
05:55So today, I look forward to hearing how the specifics of your FY26 request will ensure that,
06:01for example, clinical staffing gaps are filled. I also have some questions as you anticipate,
06:06and we discussed yesterday, Mr. Secretary, about some specific Georgia facilities. I thank you for
06:10your service to the nation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the time. Thank you. You recognize Senator
06:15Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member. It's good to see both of you and also the other
06:21members that are here today.

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