Senate subcommittee presses VA Secretary Collins on $441.2 billion FY‑26 request, $18 billion shift to toxic‑exposure fund, staffing and EHR rollout

Secretary Collins faced sustained questioning from members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee at a budget hearing over the Veterans Affairs Department's fiscal 2026 funding request, staffing plans and program priorities.

The department requested $441,200,000,000 for FY 2026, Secretary Collins said during opening remarks, and submitted a proposal that would reprogram roughly $18,000,000,000 away from the VA medical services account into the statutory toxic‑exposure fund tied to the PACT Act. Senator Jon Ossoff, the subcommittee ranking member, called VA benefits “a sacred contract” and said the committee lacked the usual supporting budget justification materials to analyze the proposal.

Why it matters: The hearing focused on three high‑stakes topics that affect veterans’ access to care — the scale and composition of the FY‑26 request, how staffing and personnel decisions will affect direct patient care, and the continued rollout of the VA’s electronic health record (EHR) system. Lawmakers repeatedly asked the secretary to provide more detailed budget justification documents and operational data the committee said were missing from the submission.

Major budget and funding issues

Secretary Collins confirmed the overall FY‑26 topline of $441.2 billion and said the budget asks include large increases for the EHR modernization program and major construction. Collins told senators the VA would provide more detailed materials to the committee following the hearing. Senator Ossoff said missing documentation made it “very challenging” to assess the request.

Several senators focused on a proposed reallocation of about $18 billion from the medical services account to the toxic‑exposure fund established under the PACT Act. Collins said the department is committed to following statutory guardrails for that fund and that the VA would work with the committee on how funds labeled “incident to delivery of care” would be used. Senator Patty Murray (chair of the committee) pressed for an explicit commitment that the statutory limits would be respected; Collins answered, “We’re committed to following the law on this.”

Staffing and hiring

Lawmakers pressed Collins for specifics on staffing levels and on how savings or proposed cuts would be accomplished without disrupting care. Collins said the VA currently employs about 465,000 people systemwide, with 409,000 in Veterans Health Administration (VHA); he said the medical services staffing level in the FY‑26 request is intended to support about 396,000 staff in medical services. The department’s human resources and hiring figures for the coming year, Collins said, would be provided to the committee after the hearing.

Several senators raised concerns about reports and perceptions of planned workforce reductions. Collins said he had exempted a broad set of clinical positions from any personnel actions and disputed that the department was firing clinicians as part of a reorganization; he said court action had paused a planned RIF process and that “no one has been let go” under that process. Senators repeatedly sought a target date and concrete plan for filling vacancies at specific facilities — notably the Atlanta VAMC, where an inspector general report cited more than 200 vacancies — and Collins agreed to work with the committee and local leadership to propose recruitment targets.

Electronic health record modernization

Members asked detailed questions about the EHR modernization program (EHRM). Collins said the administration is seeking $3.5 billion for the EHR program in the FY‑26 request and defended a plan to resume and accelerate deployments after a previous pause. He described a re‑engagement with the vendor and VA clinical teams to standardize implementations and said prior deployment problems prompted a top‑to‑bottom review.

Senators warned that additional rollouts should not repeat past outages or disruptions. Collins said he had convened VA and vendor personnel to resolve key technical and implementation issues, and that the department would supply the committee with more technical detail and readiness metrics for upcoming sites.

Suicide prevention, mental health and research oversight

Members emphasized suicide prevention and mental health access. Collins said the budget includes funding for prevention programs and described a “fresh new approach” to reach veterans not currently engaged in VA care, including the grant programs that reach veterans outside the system.

Several senators raised concerns about research and publication policies. Senator Murray said reports indicated researchers were being required to seek political approval before publication; Collins denied a department‑wide restriction on research publication and said, “We’re not restricting our researchers.”

Services for rural and tribal veterans; state veterans homes

Senators from rural states pressed Collins about grants and access for veterans who must travel long distances for care. Collins said the VA supports bills to expand travel and transportation grant eligibility and that the department would work with members to improve access, including mobile clinics and partnerships with community providers. On state veterans homes, Collins said the department was reviewing per‑diem rates and other ways to strengthen partnerships with states.

Inspector General findings and specific facility concerns

Several senators raised recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports. Collins told the panel he had visited sites identified in OIG reports, including Dublin, Georgia, and said he understood the department had corrected sterilization and related deficiencies there and had placed leadership changes and other corrective actions in progress. On Atlanta, Collins acknowledged the staffing shortfalls flagged by OIG and pledged to provide the committee with a recruitment plan in coordination with local leadership.

Transparency and follow‑up commitments

Throughout the hearing, Collins repeatedly pledged to provide more detailed budget justification materials, staffing breakdowns (including planned physician and nurse counts), and more granular plans for EHR deployments and toxic‑exposure fund implementation. He also said the department would work with the committee on statutory compliance and requested reporting. Senators emphasized the need for timely, written follow‑up; several said they would send formal questions for the record.

Ending note

The subcommittee did not vote on any measures at the hearing. Members from both parties pressed for more documentation and specific implementation plans before committee action on appropriations measures affecting the VA.