Senate Veterans' Affairs committee presses Paul Lawrence on mass firings, data access and accountability during nomination hearing

Paul R. Lawrence, nominated to be deputy secretary and chief operating officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, faced repeated questions at a Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing about last week's mass dismissals of VA employees, possible outside access to veterans' data and the department's responsiveness to congressional oversight.

Senators said the recent personnel moves and third‑party access arrangements have disrupted services and created alarm among employees and veterans. "We have been told everything will be fine," said Senator Richard Blumenthal, the committee's ranking member, listing delayed clinic openings, halted service lines, cuts to caregiver supports and interruptions to suicide‑prevention training. "But despite these vague assurances, we know it's not the reality."

Lawrence, who served previously as VA undersecretary for benefits, told senators he is not currently at the department and that he would need to investigate operational details if confirmed. "I would follow the law," he said when asked by Senator Maggie Hassan whether he would obey a presidential order that was unlawful. He also pledged to review requests from the committee and to meet with lawmakers to provide information: "I commit to receiving your questions, if confirmed, to looking at them," he said.

Why it matters: The deputy secretary is the VA's chief operating officer and co‑chairs the VA‑DOD joint executive committee; senators said that role will be crucial while the department implements the PACT Act, finishes electronic health record modernization and manages recent personnel changes that lawmakers said may affect care. Several senators pressed Lawrence for a clear commitment to protect veterans' private information from unauthorized access.

Details from the hearing: Senators pressed Lawrence about a reported transition team employee tied to Elon Musk and the Doge transition who has been described in press reports as having access to certain agency systems. Lawrence said, "this person does not have access to veteran health information nor veteran's benefits information," and described the stated scope as limited to contracts and IT management. Senators repeatedly asked him to investigate and to ensure safeguards are enforced.

Lawrence also described the aims he would pursue if confirmed: accelerating the electronic health record modernization effort, improving customer service and implementing accountability and measurement systems to improve claims processing and benefits delivery. He cited his prior record at the Veterans Benefits Administration, saying that during his earlier tenure the disability claims backlog was reduced to its lowest level on record and that VBA reduced improper payments and increased home‑loan guarantees.

Concerns and follow‑up: Multiple senators demanded a rapid review of the VA's personnel decisions and of whether mission‑critical functions — including the veterans crisis line and clinical research programs — were affected. Senator Tammy Duckworth recounted constituent contacts and urged Lawrence to review how employees were selected for termination and to restore wrongly removed staff; Lawrence said he would "review, especially with the crisis hotline, how that came about." Several lawmakers asked whether he would push back against directives that harmed veterans' care; Lawrence responded, "I will push back on mission critical cuts."

Committee process: Members of the committee had time to submit additional questions for the record. The hearing concluded with the chairman inviting written questions; Lawrence said he would engage with the committee on follow‑up requests if confirmed.

What was not established: No committee vote on the nomination was recorded in the transcript of this hearing. Lawrence repeatedly said he had not been involved in the recent personnel decisions and that his conclusions would depend on documents and interviews he could review after confirmation.

Outlook: If confirmed, Lawrence would be expected to brief the committee further on the status of layoff decisions, safeguards for veterans' data, and plans for EHR modernization and benefits processing. The committee requested additional information and said it would continue oversight.