| 10/01/25 |
To Acting General Counsel Runyan: The Weaponization of the Federal Shutdown by VA Secretary Collins is Dangerous Ranking Members Blumenthal and Takano sent a letter to Acting General Counsel Danielle Runyan calling out the leadership at VA for violating the Hatch Act by using the federal shutdown as a way to convey political and partisan messages. The Hatch Act requires that federal programs be administered non-partisanly and that federal employees be protected from political coercion in the workplace. At a time when veterans and their families are vulnerable, VA is shirking its duty to inform veterans of VA’s contingency plan and which operations are impacted by a lapse in appropriations. |
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Awaiting response
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| 09/02/25 |
To Secretary Collins: You Are Putting the Lives of Women Veterans In Danger With Proposed Near-Total Ban on Abortions Ranking Member Blumenthal and 230 of his Senate and House colleagues sent a letter to Secretary Collins calling out the Trump Administration for a dangerous and reckless rule change that will reinstate a near-total ban on abortions and abortion counseling from VA’s medical benefits package. This proposed rule calls into question whether the Department is putting political allegiances ahead of its obligation to deliver quality, life-saving health care to veterans, including the more than 462,000 women veterans of reproductive age enrolled in VA health care. |
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Awaiting Response
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| 07/18/25 |
To Secretary Collins: Setbacks to Medical Research at VA are Damaging Veterans' Access to Clinical Trials and Cutting-Edge Treatments Ranking Member Blumenthal, with Senator Patty Murray and Senator Ruben Gallego, sent a letter to Secretary Collins to express their his deep concerns with the setbacks to medical research at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that have occurred under the Secretary’s leadership. The Senators call on him to rehire VA researchers whose terms were not extended due to the hiring freeze, address the backlog of research positions that were frozen but are now able to be hired again, coordinate with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to restore cancelled grants for VA researchers, and allow researchers to publish their findings without the unprecedented step of preapproval by political appointees. |
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Awaiting Response
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| 07/03/25 |
To Secretary Collins: VA Under Your Leadership Has Been Secretive, Partisan, and Adversarial; It's Time for Transparency and Accountability Ranking Member Blumenthal and Senator Patty Murray sent a letter to Secretary Collins calling out Collins' specific actions that are disrupting communication with Congress. Since his confirmation, VA has provided responses that lack adequate information, reduced or cancelled regular briefings on numerous topics, and refused to allow members of Congress and staff to conduct proper oversight of VA facilities and staff. The letter asked VA to commit to specific timeliness and oversight parameters. |
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Awaiting Response
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| 06/24/25 |
To Secretary Collins: New Changes in Medical Bylaws Could Allow for Discrimination in Treating Patients and Hiring Medical Professionals Ranking Member Blumenthal and his Democratic colleagues wrote to Secretary Collins about changes to patient and staff policies governing medical facilities that VA made in secret and without notification to veterans or to Congress. These changes could allow for discrimination in treating and hiring medical professionals, causing concern and prompted a request for proper justification and clarification from VA. |
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Satisfactory Response
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| 06/12/25 |
To Secretary Collins and Secretary Hegseth: VA Needs to Protect Transgender Servicemembers' Privacy and Access to Earned Benefits and Services Ranking Member Blumenthal sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, Doug Collins, and Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, expressing concern regarding the purge of transgender servicemembers and endangering their access to earned VA benefits and services. The letter asks several questions about VA’s plan with whether trans servicemembers will receive honorable discharges, how they will keep servicemembers properly informed of TAP benefits, and how they are preparing for an influx in transgender veterans seeking care. |
- Benefits
- Trump Admin Harm
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Awaiting Response
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| 06/06/25 |
To Secretary Collins: Provide Us the Specific Actions You Are Taking to Address Issues That Put VA on the High Risk List Ranking Member Blumenthal and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Takano sent a letter to Secretary Collins asking about the specific actions he has taken to address the underlying concerns that have placed VA on the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) High Risk List (HRL). Collins frequently cites the Department’s inclusion on the HRL to justify this Administration’s unprecedented assault on veterans and the VA workforce. |
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Unsatisfactory Response
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| 06/02/25 |
To Secretary Collins: Changing the Requirements for Reporting Community Care Network Health Care Data Will Cripple Veterans' Ability to Make Safe Health Care Choices Ranking Member Blumenthal and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Takano sent a letter to Secretary Collins, stressing the importance of transparency in VA and Community Care Network healthcare quality data. They raise concerns about potential VA actions to scale back data sharing, including ending CMS hospital star rating submissions and reducing SAIL briefings from quarterly to biannual, calling such changes unacceptable. |
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Satisfactory Response
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| 05/19/25 |
To Secretary Collins: The Implementation of the Elizabeth Dole Act is Falling Behind Deadlines and Lacks Transparency Ranking Member Blumenthal and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Takano sent a letter to Secretary Collins expressing concerns with VA’s lack of transparency and communication with Congress regarding the implementation of the Dole Act, and requesting a commitment from VA to brief Congress regularly on implementation. |
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Unsatisfactory Response
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| 05/19/25 |
To Secretary Collins: Provide Congress with the List of VA Contracts You Have Cancelled or Proposed Be Cancelled Ranking Member Blumenthal, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Takano, and 12 Senators and House Members sent a letter to Secretary Collins demanding he provide Congress with a complete and accurate list of cancelled VA contracts and a briefing to explain the process the DOGE VA team is using identify and cancel contracts. |
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Awaiting Response
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