December 15, 2025

Ranking Member Takano Condemns VA Plan to Cut Thousands of Unfilled Healthcare Positions

WASHINGTON—Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano released the following statement denouncing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) decision to cut tens of thousands of unfilled healthcare positions. This cut is just one component of a massive reorganization planned for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

“Today, in a briefing for bipartisan Committee staff, officials from VA were provided the opportunity to explain the Washington Post’s reporting, which they called ‘reckless’, ‘inaccurate’, and a ‘mischaracterization’. However, under questioning from Committee staff, these officials were unable to provide basic information, produce underlying analyses, or point to any data that would show elimination of these positions as anything other than a significant cut to VHA’s clinical workforce. They provided no facts on how eliminating these positions would impact veterans or healthcare delivery.

“Furthermore, VA introduced yet another reorganization of VHA into the mix, with little transparency and no evidence to support the Secretary’s claims about what it will accomplish.

“From the start, the Trump administration and Secretary Collins have evaded questions, transparency, and congressional oversight of their efforts to reduce and reorganize VA’s workforce. Rather than providing data, analysis, or clear answers, VA presents incomplete plans and fails to address basic questions.

“I am not satisfied with VA’s briefing or its plan to cut these healthcare positions. VA has failed to provide any evidence that leads us to believe this change is about serving veterans. It is once again about so-called ‘efficiency’. Trump administration officials are attempting to transform VA into a business while misleading the veteran community. VA is serving an ideology already contained in Project 2025, rather than delivering results for America’s veterans. I urge Chairman Bost to hold hearings on these proposals immediately.”

This statement followed the publication of a Washington Post article, titled “VA plans to abruptly eliminate tens of thousands of health care jobs,” and a VA-led briefing for Democratic and Republican staff of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs held on December 15, 2025.