WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) exposed how VA Secretary Doug Collins’ proposed budget is effectively a plan to strongarm the VA toward privatization—a move that would devastate our Veterans’ access to comprehensive, tailored VA care when they return home from war with unique, complex needs.
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During the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing, Duckworth called out Secretary Collins on the Trump Administration’s rejection of key recommendations made by Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) in their Independent Budget, including ignoring VSOs’ request to strengthen the capability and capacity of VA care while modestly reducing funds for private sector care. Instead, the Trump Administration is seeking to do the exact opposite—proposing to keep VA direct care funding stagnant while seeking a massive increase in taxpayer funding to reimburse private providers. As Donald Trump continues to throw the next generation of servicemembers into an illegal war of choice in the Middle East, Duckworth underscored that now would be the worst time to jeopardize core direct VA care. Video from the hearing is available on the Senator’s YouTube.
“Safeguarding our VA, investing in its capacity and building its strength and resiliency has never been more important,” said Duckworth. “Secretary Collins has repeatedly denied that Donald Trump wants to privatize the VA to enrich his billionaire donors. But actions speak far louder than words, and this Trump budget—while probably the most honest document we’ve received from VA during the second term—is a clear privatization blitz.”
In her remarks, Duckworth highlighted that Secretary Collins’ budget seeks a massive 17 percent increase in funding for private sector community care while only seeking a small 2.8 percent increase for direct VA medical care—which, under rising inflation, is ultimately a cut.
Further proving the Trump Administration’s bias for privatization, Duckworth outlined how its proposed budget contradicts the Independent Budgets proposed by VSOs DAV and VFW, which recommends Congress increase funding for VA medical care by nearly 19.4 percent and reduce community care spending by roughly 6.3 percent.
Continuing to underscore the opposing differences between the Trump Administration and the VSOs’ budgets, Duckworth noted:
- The Trump Administration’s budget proposes a 5.1 percent cut to medical support and compliance at the VA. Meanwhile, the VSOs’ Independent Budget recommends a 2.8 percent increase.
- Additionally, the Administration’s budget proposes a 2.3 percent cut to medical and prosthetic research. Meanwhile, the Independent Budget recommends a 54 percent increase.
- And furthermore, the Administration’s budget proposes a 37.8 percent cut to grants for State extended care facilities. Meanwhile, the Independent Budget calls for a 118 percent increase.
When Secretary Collins attempted to deny efforts to privatize the VA, Duckworth fired back, “Your funding request for VA care would likely fail to keep up with inflation, yet you are simultaneously seeking billions to create a privatization slush fund that will force more and more Veterans to seek private sector care … even if they want to remain in the VA medical center home. I strongly advise that you correct course, present real and meaningful evidence, and actually consult Congress and the VSOs.”
Duckworth has strongly defended the VA against privatization and fought to preserve it as our Veterans’ medical center home. When the VA implemented a horrendous interim final rule (IFR) that put millions of Veterans’ disability ratings and care at risk earlier this year, Duckworth railed against the rule with a panel of Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) and warned against the Trump Administration’s shady campaign to eventually privatize the VA.
