**The Washington Post reports that the VA is planning ​​to “abruptly eliminate tens of thousands of health care jobs” amid historic strains on the system. These cuts include doctors and nurses**

Concord, N.H. — Today, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former Naval intelligence officer, and Congressman Chris Pappas, Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, demanded answers from Veterans Affairs Administration Secretary Douglas A. Collins about the Department’s decision to cut over 35,000 unfilled positions, which is a deeply troubling development given the well-documented clinical staffing shortages the VA faces.

The full letter is available here.

Goodlander and Pappas wrote, “We are writing with concern regarding actions you have taken which severely and negatively impact the workforce of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Under your leadership, VA has lost 43,000 employees, including those who serve in veteran-facing and mission-critical roles. Additionally, you recently made the decision to cut over 35,000 unfilled positions and have yet to explain how these cuts are being executed, which positions are affected, where they are located, and why this decision was made. This action is deeply troubling, given the well-known and well-documented clinical staffing shortages VA faces.”

Goodlander and Pappas demanded the VA provide answers and data about employee departures over the past year, writing, “New Hampshire is home to the Manchester VA Medical Center, VA Clinics in Tilton, Conway, Littleton, and Somersworth, and is supported by the White River Junction VA Medical Center in Vermont. As proud representatives of the Granite State, we are requesting detailed information about the current workforce situation in these facilities so that we can assess the impact to the veterans we represent.”

Goodlander and Pappas are steadfast advocates for expanding access to the healthcare that New Hampshire veterans need and deserve. Pappas and Goodlander are leading the Veterans Full-Service Care and Access Act, legislation that would require the VA to operate, at minimum, one full-service Veterans Health Administration hospital within each state in the contiguous 48 states.

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