Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Trump's Cruel, Manufactured VA Staffing Crisis

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor calling on the Trump administration to refill critical positions after President Trump’s plan to drastically reduce the VA workforce forced tens of thousands of highly-skilled workers to leave their jobs, further jeopardizing the care and well-being of America’s veterans. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Donald Trump and Secretary Collins are manufacturing a cynical staffing crisis at the Veterans Administration.

Earlier this year, we learned that Secretary Collins announced plans for a wide-scale 80,000+ employee reduction of the workforce at the VA, putting the well-being of our veterans at immediate risk.

There was never any transparency for these plans. And many of the decisions were clearly done haphazardly, without thinking through the consequences.

Yesterday, the VA released another alarming announcement, saying they’re on pace to lose 30,000 staffers without having to resort to a “reduction in force,” as if that made things better.

They proposed 80,000, but because of huge pressure – mainly from our veterans and our veterans groups – they backed off. But make no mistake about it: a cut of 30,000 will decimate the ability of the VA to provide good health care to our veterans who have risked their lives for us.

What Secretary Collins is doing is making the VA so toxic that workers are leaving on their own.

The workers, I've talked to so many of them. They're dedicated to helping our veterans.

They see the administration just slashing and burning the VA, without any concern for the consequences for why people were fired.

The bottom line is still this: thanks to Donald Trump and Secretary Collins, tens of thousands of highly skilled workers are exiting the VA, and our veterans are the ones that suffer.

I've heard this from veterans over and over again. One story sticks out in my mind: a woman who served in Afghanistan got PTSD and was treated at the VA hospital near Buffalo. Then, because she saw the dedication of the VA workers, she became an employee.

She worked really hard. She was dedicated to the veterans. She knew she could probably make more money in another job. She got home one Friday night and saw on her computer, you're RIFed, which means you're fired, with no reason why, and not even a chance to come back into the office and pick up the mementoes she had there like pictures of her loved ones.

Donald Trump likes to pretend like he cares about our armed service members and veterans. But actions speak louder than words, and Donald Trump's actions when it comes to sabotaging the VA are disgusting. And the worst part about what's happening at the VA is timing.

While Donald Trump creates a staffing crisis at the VA, his “Big, Ugly Bill” will jeopardize Medicaid coverage for veterans, as well as shut down hospitals that serve veterans and thereby put even more strain on the VA. It’s a vicious cycle, a cynical double whammy where veterans pay the ultimate price for Donald Trump’s cruelty.

The administration should immediately reverse course and refill these positions and make sure the VA operates at full capacity.

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