'Unresponsive To Congressional Oversight': Jon Ossoff Rips VA Secretary Doug Collins Over Transparency

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During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last month, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) spoke about the transparency issues in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Transcript

00:00From the Secretary, I'd like to recognize my colleague, Senator Ossoff, for any opening

00:04comments that he would have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A pleasure to be back with you again.

00:10That's good. And appreciate our bipartisan working relationship and looking forward to

00:16continuing our shared efforts to support America's veterans. I want to welcome you,

00:21Secretary Collins, a fellow Georgian. Thank you for your service. And before we begin,

00:27as always, but particularly given events in the Middle East over the last several days,

00:32I want to express my gratitude to all of those who serve the United States with such courage and

00:38professionalism. I know we are all united and praying for the safety of service members,

00:44as well as diplomats and intelligence professionals who are overseas defending the nation.

00:49As we examine the department's fiscal year 2026, $441 billion request, I want to begin by emphasizing,

01:00but it is our shared priority on this subcommittee across the aisle to ensure that the men and women

01:06who have defended the United States in uniform receive the care, support, and benefits that

01:11they've earned. And I emphasize that word earned because VA benefits are not handouts or giveaways.

01:19This is a sacred contract between the nation and those who have defended it, as well as their families.

01:26The purpose of today's hearing is for the Secretary to present the VA's budget request for fiscal year

01:342026. I echo the chairman in expressing my concern at the lack of supplemental materials and budget

01:41justification materials, which makes it very challenging for us to assess the merits of the

01:47overall request. I hope we can get some more details in the course of this hearing. We see that

01:52the overall discretionary and mandatory funding levels for VA have increased. We recognize,

01:58the chairman also mentioned, in the first two years of the PACT Act between August of 22 and August of

02:0424, in Georgia alone, Mr. Chairman, more than 6,500 New Georgia veterans enrolled in VA health care.

02:12We have seen 51,000 veterans with PACT Act claims granted. And of course, to serve America's veterans,

02:21the VA needs to be staffed appropriately to provide care both within and without the walls of VA facilities.

02:28And the VA needs to be welcoming to all veterans who have worn the uniform and to offer programs and

02:33assistance that these veterans need. Mr. Secretary, you've requested a significant increase to expedite

02:40the rollout of the electronic health records modernization effort, as well as an increase in

02:44the construction accounts. Perhaps most significantly, and I know of some substantial bipartisan concern,

02:50we see a shift of $18 billion away from what Congress advanced last fiscal year for VA medical care.

02:58Those funds have been reprogrammed toward the toxic exposure funds, of course, a worthy endeavor and

03:03something that was established via the PACT Act. But there is substantial concern about this cut to the

03:10medical care account. Hope we can get some more details on that in the course of this hearing. And Mr. Secretary,

03:16you know that now and long predating your tenure, Georgia veterans and veterans across the country are deeply frustrated.

03:25They're frustrated by wait times for appointments and care. They're frustrated by years-long adjudication

03:31of their claims and the feeling that they're just slamming their head into a brick wall when they try to

03:37claim the benefits they've earned through their service. Veterans are frustrated that they can't get answers

03:43and basic information from the department. And frankly, Mr. Secretary, members of Congress are frustrated

03:49that we can't get basic answers and information from the department. And if you step back and think about it,

03:55if United States senators can't get transparency from the VA, what hope is there for the rest of the country?

04:02Mr. Secretary, when you came and met with me in advance of your confirmation, you promised me,

04:09but as a former member of Congress, you understood the vital role of congressional oversight and pledged

04:14to be transparent and responsive. But to be very candid with you, so far this year, although I've

04:20appreciated our opportunities to speak, the department has been unresponsive to congressional oversight and

04:26has acted unilaterally without consultation of Congress in ways that I think you're aware have

04:31caused substantial concern and opposition on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress.

04:38So I appreciate that you've been willing to get on the phone when I call, but Mr. Secretary, with all due

04:42respect, I don't call just to hear the sound of your voice. I want to make sure the department is

04:47providing this subcommittee with the information that members of Congress have requested so that we can

04:52make sound decisions on behalf of our constituents and America's veterans. So we are not off to a

04:57great start when it comes to transparency and responsiveness, but I'm hoping that that can change

05:03and we can build an effective working relationship. There are a few core concerns where we need more

05:09transparency with respect to contract cancellations, the VASP program, staffing levels, the budget

05:17justification, supplementary materials that this subcommittee receives almost always in advance

05:23of this hearing, but which we lack today. And members of this subcommittee and members of the Senate,

05:31Mr. Secretary, are going to continue to ask for information about your plans and intentions and

05:38department operations, because as you know from your time in Congress, that's our job. It's what we were

05:42elected to do. We can't legislate just based on someone's word or promise. We have to verify

05:51and understand precisely what you and other members of the executive branch are doing.

05:55So today, I look forward to hearing how the specifics of your FY26 request will ensure that,

06:01for example, clinical staffing gaps are filled. I also have some questions as you anticipate,

06:06and we discussed yesterday, Mr. Secretary, about some specific Georgia facilities. I thank you for

06:10your service to the nation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the time. Thank you. You recognize Senator

06:15Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member. It's good to see both of you and also the other

06:21members that are here today.

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