Nominee Don Bergen Promises Faster, Better VA Responses to Congress, Urged to Improve Transparency on Contracts and Reorganization

Don Bergen, the president’s nominee to serve as assistant secretary for congressional and legislative affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee that improving responsiveness to Congress and better staffing of congressional relations officers would be his immediate priorities if confirmed.

Bergen said his work since April as a senior adviser to VA exposed shortfalls in the office that interfaces with Congress. He told Chairman Moran the office was ‘‘pretty short staffed’’ on congressional relation officers, and he has recommended both personnel and process changes to provide ‘‘timely, and useful’’ responses to committee and member requests. He said he would measure success by improved timeliness and the substance of answers provided to congressional inquiries.

Committee members welcomed Bergen’s emphasis on responsiveness but pressed him on several transparency issues. Senators asked why the VA canceled hundreds of contracts and would not provide clear documentation in response to repeated committee requests; they also raised reported plans for a major reorganization and a potential firing of up to 80,000 employees, and the use of nondisclosure agreements. Bergen said the secretary ‘‘does want to get resources directly to veterans’’ and described the reorganization and contract deliberations as ‘‘a humongous challenge’’ involving many deliberations and, in some cases, court involvement. He said he had urged staffing increases in congressional relations so the department could respond promptly.

Bergen told senators he would be ‘‘a tireless advocate for veterans, committed to working hand in hand with Congress in a spirit of cooperation and shared purpose,’’ and he pledged to follow the law. When Chairman Moran asked whether Bergen would ensure VA followed congressional intent when implementing laws, Bergen replied that he would and that he had ‘‘raised [his] right hand for a note to the constitution many times’’ in his career.

Several senators recommended concrete early moves if Bergen were confirmed: expand the number of congressional relations officers, adopt acknowledgment protocols (for example, an automatic ‘‘we received your inquiry’’ notice), and provide earlier briefings where committee input could alter final decisions rather than presenting a fait accompli.

Bergen described the OCLA staff he has found as ‘‘almost entirely veteran, extremely diverse and highly qualified,’’ and said they have been ‘‘working their tails off’’ under difficult conditions. He acknowledged the scale of the tasks—improving timeliness, answering thousands of office-level inquiries, and supporting operational changes—and asked for patience while recommending structural fixes the department could implement.

Why this matters: the department’s communications with Congress directly affect how quickly lawmakers and staff can address veterans’ problems and how Congress exercises oversight. Senators framed improved responsiveness not as an administrative nicety but as a potential life-or-death matter for veterans needing benefits, care, or timely payments.

The committee requested written follow-up and documentation; Bergen did not receive a committee vote at the hearing.