Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee favorably reports Douglas A. Collins nomination

The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs voted to favorably report the nomination of Congressman Douglas A. Collins to be secretary of Veterans Affairs during its meeting, advancing the nomination to the full Senate. The committee recorded a roll-call vote with 12 ayes and 1 no.

The nomination matters because the secretary would oversee the VA's health-care, benefits and facilities programs and could influence policy on staffing, implementation of the PACT Act for toxic-exposed veterans, and existing VA rules on abortion counseling and care. Committee members said having a confirmed secretary would help the department advocate for veterans and respond to administrative policies such as hiring freezes.

Committee Chair (unnamed in the transcript) said, “I will be voting in support of Congressman Collins nomination. I appreciate his first hand experience,” and praised Collins’ background as a veteran, military chaplain, lawyer and lawmaker. The chair added that confirming a secretary would place an advocate in a position to press for staffing and programmatic needs at the VA.

Ranking Member Sen. Blumenthal, identified in the transcript as the committee's ranking member, said he would support the nomination but listed several concerns he will continue to press the nominee on, including implementation of the PACT Act for toxic-exposed veterans, upgrades and renovations to VA facilities, homelessness prevention resources, suicide-prevention efforts and access to mental-health care. Blumenthal also voiced “serious, really intense concerns about the hiring freeze” reportedly in effect, saying delays in filling open positions can delay medical appointments and benefits for veterans.

Committee remarks also referenced an interim VA rule on abortion counseling and care; members said they would watch for any reconsideration of that rule. The chair and other members asked the administration and transition team to clarify the hiring-freeze language and its consequences. The transcript records a committee discussion that the Biden administration transitioned in 2024 from record hiring in 2023 to a net-zero growth strategy and set a goal of reducing the VA workforce by 10,000 employees; the chair said the committee will seek facts on whether staffing is sufficient to meet veterans’ needs.

A single committee member recorded a dissenting vote and explained that they voted no “because congressman Collins plans for VA are not in line with what I believe, are right for veterans in Hawaii and across the country and not what my constituents support,” citing concerns about overturning the VA interim final rule on abortion and potential further privatization of VA care. The transcript shows that member said they would nonetheless work with the nominee if confirmed.

The committee moved that “the Committee on Veterans Affairs favorably reports the nomination of the honorable Douglas A. Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” and the motion was seconded and put to a roll-call vote. Following the roll call, the committee adjourned.

The nomination now proceeds to the full Senate; the transcript does not record a date for a floor vote or additional procedural steps.