| 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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Awaiting 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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| 05/15/25 |
To Secretary Collins: Authorize an Extension of the Pause in Discharges for Legacy Caregivers Enrolled in VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Ranking Member Blumenthal, along with his Democratic colleagues, wrote to Secretary Collins to request that he give an extension of the pause in discharges for legacy caregivers enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). No information has been provided about how the current Administration plans to proceed with this rulemaking process, presenting serious concerns that a failure to extend this pause will cause thousands of caregivers and veterans to lose life-changing benefits this year. |
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Awaiting Response
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| 05/05/25 |
To Secretary Collins: Prevent President Trump's Tariffs from Harming Veterans and VA Medical Facilities Ranking Member Blumenthal and 8 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Secretary Collins requesting information on his plan to mitigate the effects of tariffs on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, specifically to ensure continued access to critical medications, medical supplies, equipment, and other goods necessary to support VA’s ability to serve 9.3 million veterans. |
- Trump Admin Harm
- Health Care
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Awaiting Response
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| 04/09/25 |
To Secretary Collins: Abrupt Closure of Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase Program (VASP) Will Push Thousands of Veterans into Foreclosure Ranking Members Blumenthal and House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Takano, along with 8 Senate Democrats and 12 House Democrats sent a letter to Secretary Collins urging him to immediately reverse his decision to abruptly end the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase Program, which helps veterans avoid foreclosure on their VA home loans. By not accepting any new veterans into the program after May 1, 2025, VA risks putting 80,000 veterans onto the streets and out of their homes. |
- Homelessness
- Trump Admin Harm
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Unsatisfactory Response
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