Senate Veterans Affairs Committee presses nominee Doug Collins on EHR rollout, Mission Act implementation, staffing and reproductive-care rule

At the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs' first hearing for the 119th Congress, Rep. Doug Collins, nominated to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, answered extended questioning from senators about the VA's electronic health record rollout, implementation of the VA MISSION Act, staffing and a new hiring-freeze memorandum, the department's construction backlog, suicide prevention and whether VA reproductive-care guidance complies with current law.

The hearing matters because the Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the federal government's largest agencies and oversees health care and benefits for millions of veterans. Committee members repeatedly framed the nominee's responses around two priorities: ensuring timely access to care for eligible veterans and making the VA a reliable partner for congressional oversight and veterans service organizations.

Collins said he would treat the VA as his primary mission if confirmed. "If I'm confirmed by this body, the VA will be my mission," Rep. Doug Collins said in his opening testimony. He told senators he would accept the intent of the MISSION Act and "follow the Mission Act," promising to enforce both the letter and spirit of the law and to push VA employees to help veterans access care where the veterans want it or need it. "We're gonna be following the Mission Act. We're gonna have the intent. We're gonna follow that up," he told Chairman Jerry Moran during questioning.

Electronic health records surfaced…