[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) are calling out Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins for his failure to be transparent and accountable to veterans, Congress, and the American taxpayer around his cuts and policies at VA.

“Congress and this Administration should be working together to provide the best possible care, benefits and services for our nation’s veterans and their families, and your failure to be transparent about your actions at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is wholly unacceptable,” the Senators wrote in a letter to VA Secretary Collins. “As you are aware, Congress has a constitutionally-mandated obligation of oversight over executive agencies. However, VA under your leadership has been historically secretive and partisan, and overtly adversarial to any attempts at such oversight.”

The Senators delivered a searing review of Collins’ leadership and lack of communication with Congress: “…[Y]our communications lack timeliness, facts, and adequacy…Since your confirmation, the Department has also reduced or cancelled regular briefings on numerous topics, including homelessness, caregiver support and community care. And you have refused to allow members of Congress and staff to conduct roundtables and town halls at VA facilities to hear directly from employees and veterans about their concerns – violating years of precedent.” In an unprecedented move in April, the Trump Administration refused to allow VA Puget Sound to participate in Senator Murray’s annual women veterans roundtable.

The Senators also slammed Collins’ denial of basic Freedom of Information Act requests and insistence that media outlets change evidence-based reporting with no substantial proof to support those requests: “This vindictive secrecy is unprecedented, and demonstrates your consistent unwillingness to allow anyone to hold you accountable for your actions…This blatant obstruction of Congress, and lack of transparency and accountability to America’s veterans and taxpayers must not continue. ” The Senators concluded their letter by demanding Collins commit to new timeliness and oversight parameters, including allowing members of Congress and staff to visit VA facilities and ensuring VA answer Congressional Requests for Information with 45 calendar days.

In an effort to publicly track Trump VA’s responsiveness to Congress, Ranking Member Blumenthal today rolled-out a brand-new page on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee website to track responses to the oversight letters he has sent as Ranking Member since the beginning of the Trump Administration, January 18, 2025. This web page reveals the majority of oversight letters to VA either get no response or responses with minimal or inaccurate information.

This oversight web page can be found HERE. It will be updated regularly to reflect when the Ranking Member sends letters and when—or if—the Committee receives a response from VA 

Since VA Secretary Collins was confirmed as Secretary, 23 oversight letters and more than 50 requests for information from Ranking Member Blumenthal have not received a substantive or sufficient response—or any response at all.