Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lawmakers and union reps warn VA staffing losses, telework changes and bargaining restrictions threaten care
Summary
Members of the House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee and an AFGE representative described large net losses of VA staff, examples of local morale and recruitment problems, and concerns that an administration executive order and telework policy changes have worsened retention.
Lawmakers and a union witness told a House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee in July 2025 that steep staffing losses, restrictions on telework and limits on collective bargaining have undermined the VA's ability to recruit and retain mission-critical staff.
"Earlier this month, Secretary Collins celebrated the VA will lose nearly 30,000 employees by the end of the fiscal year. I find that despicable," Ranking Member Ramirez said in opening remarks, adding that "Every VA employee is mission critical." Ramirez cited data from the VA workforce dashboard and detailed net losses in several veteran-facing occupations during the current fiscal year.
Dr. Sheila Elliott, a pharmacist at the Hampton VA Medical Center and president of American Federation…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
