Congressman Abe Hamadeh rebuked his Democratic colleagues for attempting to place the blame for Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare failures on Community Care providers.
Hamadeh pointed out in Wednesday’s Subcommittee on Health Oversight hearing that local providers wished to serve veterans, but the powers-that-be tied their hands. Hamadeh said he was “deeply concerned” by his Democratic colleagues “scapegoat[ing]” of Community Care providers.
“Rather than attacking partners trying to serve veterans, we must identify solutions to cutting bureaucratic red tape and empower veterans through accountable, flexible care options. They deserve nothing less,” said Hamadeh.
Congressman Hamadeh chastises his Democrat colleagues for attempting to scapegoat community care providers for problems caused by VA mismanagement.
"Rather than attacking partners trying to serve veterans, we must identify solutions to cutting bureaucratic red tape and empower… pic.twitter.com/DnFDword6Y
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) February 13, 2025
Hamadeh asked Sharon Silas, director of the Government Accountability Office, about the main factors that cause barriers to Community Care service.
Silas claimed one main barrier is the process within the VA to determine eligibility for the program in order to identify available providers in the community. This “back and forth” between the VA, providers, and the veteran, Silas said, is what takes up so much time. Further on that note, Silas explained that veterans also face barriers to access because they’re competing with the general public for service from community care providers.
Silas referenced a 2018 recommendation by the GAO for the VA to establish a standard for when veterans receive care in the community. Currently, there’s a standard for when an appointment is scheduled for the veteran in the community, but there’s no similar standard for actual reception of care.
The scope of Wednesday’s hearing addressed the evaluating VA Community Care, namely its roles and responsibilities. Chairwoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks declared that veterans shouldn’t have to endure a “maze of bureaucracy” for their healthcare and that providers shouldn’t face “administrative hurdles.”
President Donald Trump fired VA Inspector General Mike Missal while cleaning house of well over a dozen longtime higher-ups in Washington in the name of governmental efficiency. Missal and several others sued the Trump administration over their firings this week.
Some have expressed concerns over the past sentiments of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought in works published in recent years, as noted by Military.com. A 2023 report by Vought for the Center for Renewing America advocated for eliminating VA disability compensation for veterans at Social Security retirement age, eliminating unemployability benefits, cutting disability compensation for veterans with ratings lower than 30 percent, dropping disability compensation for veterans whose health conditions aren’t directly related to military duty. Those latter positions were echoed in “Project 2025,” a Heritage Foundation report in which Vought contributed. The policy recommendations there by another contributor proposed the VA overhaul disability ratings to eliminate certain conditions from eligibility.
However, newly-confirmed Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins doubled down on his confirmation hearing promises that veterans benefits would remain untouched.
“I’m going to tell you right now, that’s not happening,” said Collins. “Reality is, veteran’s benefits aren’t getting cut. In fact, we’re actually giving and improving services in our Veteran Benefits Administration.”
Spot on, @SecVetAffairs. THANK YOU for setting the record straight on protecting veterans' benefits and making sure VA works FOR the veterans it serves, not government bureaucrats.
House Republicans sole focus is putting #VeteransFirst. https://t.co/fUXAlh71XO
— House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (@HouseVetAffairs) February 12, 2025
Cuts came elsewhere — last month, a week after Trump’s inauguration, the VA ended all spending for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in accordance with the president’s executive order.
Earlier this month, Collins clarified the new direction for the VA under the Trump administration: increasing the timeliness of access to care and benefits, putting veterans at the center of all VA decisions, challenging the “status quo” to improve VA beneficiary service, and improve outreach efforts for veterans at risk of homelessness or suicide (especially those without prior VA contact history).