Sen. Ossoff to VA Sec. Collins: ‘26-Page PowerPoint to Justify the Budget’ Is Not Sufficient

OSSOFF Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ and thank you again ░░░░░░░░ Secretary So just to ░░░░░░░░ with the basics here ░░░░░░░░ Secretary the total all ░░░░░░░░ request for FY26 is ░░░░░░░░ 2 billion correct COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ OSSOFF And how much ░░░░░░░░ your medical services request ░░░░░░░░ for personnel And how ░░░░░░░░ personnel through this medical ░░░░░░░░ request do you intend ░░░░░░░░ employ in FY26 COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ I also have my ░░░░░░░░ Andrew here as well ░░░░░░░░ the numbers that we ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chairman the issue ░░░░░░░░ you brought up is ░░░░░░░░ now there are currently ░░░░░░░░ 000 employees in VA ░░░░░░░░ a whole VHA has ░░░░░░░░ 000 of those OSSOFF ░░░░░░░░ m so sorry COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ OSSOFF The question is ░░░░░░░░ many staff do you ░░░░░░░░ to employ through the ░░░░░░░░ services budget in FY26 ░░░░░░░░ Do we have it ░░░░░░░░ UNKNOWN MALE 396 000 ░░░░░░░░ 396 000 OSSOFF 396 ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS Yes OSSOFF OK ░░░░░░░░ FY25 request and just ░░░░░░░░ be clear that s ░░░░░░░░ staffing of medical services ░░░░░░░░ FY26 Say the number ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS 395 Andrew UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ 396 000 COLLINS 396 ░░░░░░░░ OSSOFF 396 000 OK ░░░░░░░░ many physicians do you ░░░░░░░░ to employ in FY26 ░░░░░░░░ Physicians UNKNOWN MALE Oh ░░░░░░░░ We employ a large ░░░░░░░░ of physicians I m ░░░░░░░░ Who are you COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ is our budget right ░░░░░░░░ we currently have 28 ░░░░░░░░ physicians OSSOFF Yeah So ░░░░░░░░ many physicians do you ░░░░░░░░ to employ in FY26 ░░░░░░░░ We re not cutting ░░░░░░░░ So at this point ░░░░░░░░ time under that budget ░░░░░░░░ re still looking to ░░░░░░░░ at 28 868 at ░░░░░░░░ because we re also ░░░░░░░░ to add physicians which ░░░░░░░░ exempt crosstalk OSSOFF So ░░░░░░░░ s what we usually ░░░░░░░░ is for example the ░░░░░░░░ request from 25 and ░░░░░░░░ specifies that for 25 ░░░░░░░░ re requested 25 099 ░░░░░░░░ So we usually get ░░░░░░░░ in advance of this ░░░░░░░░ So my question is ░░░░░░░░ how many doctors you ░░░░░░░░ to employ COLLINS Yeah ░░░░░░░░ at this point in ░░░░░░░░ I ll take that ░░░░░░░░ get it back to ░░░░░░░░ I don t as ░░░░░░░░ told you yesterday on ░░░░░░░░ phone there ll be ░░░░░░░░ more information coming later ░░░░░░░░ week OSSOFF OK How ░░░░░░░░ dentists COLLINS Same answer ░░░░░░░░ Do you have a ░░░░░░░░ for nurses COLLINS We ░░░░░░░░ employ 91 040 I ░░░░░░░░ have the OSSOFF But ░░░░░░░░ question is how many ░░░░░░░░ And I understand and ░░░░░░░░ breakdown will be provided ░░░░░░░░ as I said yesterday ░░░░░░░░ OK Well how have ░░░░░░░░ calculated the money you ░░░░░░░░ for personnel without having ░░░░░░░░ decided how many personnel ░░░░░░░░ employ COLLINS In the ░░░░░░░░ of the budget which ░░░░░░░░ now is still going ░░░░░░░░ these are the numbers ░░░░░░░░ we re using to ░░░░░░░░ forward from last year ░░░░░░░░ budget into this year ░░░░░░░░ budget And at this ░░░░░░░░ there is also a ░░░░░░░░ in how many we ░░░░░░░░ currently hired and not ░░░░░░░░ And so at this ░░░░░░░░ I ll have the ░░░░░░░░ for you that we ░░░░░░░░ not provided yet We ░░░░░░░░ be providing those numbers ░░░░░░░░ But you ve proposed ░░░░░░░░ about 17 or 18 ░░░░░░░░ cut to the medical ░░░░░░░░ account correct COLLINS Uh ░░░░░░░░ is not the president ░░░░░░░░ budget makes adjustments to ░░░░░░░░ funding They devote additional ░░░░░░░░ appropriately to community care ░░░░░░░░ is not a cut ░░░░░░░░ total funding to VHA ░░░░░░░░ fact the total medical ░░░░░░░░ budget grew by 17 ░░░░░░░░ to 24 billion OSSOFF ░░░░░░░░ medical care medical services ░░░░░░░░ here s your COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ OSSOFF just and just ░░░░░░░░ be clear I mean ░░░░░░░░ chairman mentioned this We ░░░░░░░░ get this COLLINS I ░░░░░░░░ completely OSSOFF which specifies ░░░░░░░░ many folks you intend ░░░░░░░░ employ COLLINS Yeah OSSOFF ░░░░░░░░ have a 26 page ░░░░░░░░ But in that 26 ░░░░░░░░ PowerPoint here are specified ░░░░░░░░ 17 billion in cuts ░░░░░░░░ the medical services budget ░░░░░░░░ who what what are ░░░░░░░░ cutting in medical services ░░░░░░░░ specifically who are you ░░░░░░░░ since that s exclusively ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS The again and ░░░░░░░░ and this is the ░░░░░░░░ we have right now ░░░░░░░░ I ll just state ░░░░░░░░ for either of us ░░░░░░░░ go back in circles ░░░░░░░░ ll be getting we ░░░░░░░░ be providing more of ░░░░░░░░ numbers as I said ░░░░░░░░ on our phone call ░░░░░░░░ week So at this ░░░░░░░░ in time the numbers ░░░░░░░░ we re providing are ░░░░░░░░ numbers that we have ░░░░░░░░ this point I ll ░░░░░░░░ happy to talk to ░░░░░░░░ further about those later ░░░░░░░░ I m just I ░░░░░░░░ I understand that that ░░░░░░░░ why we usually get ░░░░░░░░ in advance of this ░░░░░░░░ I mean I m ░░░░░░░░ if we need to ░░░░░░░░ having received the full ░░░░░░░░ request Because the thing ░░░░░░░░ is causing a lot ░░░░░░░░ consternation is this proposed ░░░░░░░░ 18 billion cut to ░░░░░░░░ services I mean that ░░░░░░░░ so today is the ░░░░░░░░ hearing where you justify ░░░░░░░░ budget request So how ░░░░░░░░ you justify this cut ░░░░░░░░ medical services and who ░░░░░░░░ you going to fire ░░░░░░░░ order to pay for ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS And I ll ░░░░░░░░ back to the same ░░░░░░░░ I gave you just ░░░░░░░░ few minutes ago I ░░░░░░░░ in this process we ░░░░░░░░ have more information on ░░░░░░░░ part of it as ░░░░░░░░ go forward The basis ░░░░░░░░ the budget was based ░░░░░░░░ the you know our ░░░░░░░░ as it existed in ░░░░░░░░ forward and the numbers ░░░░░░░░ not been cut to ░░░░░░░░ medical crosstalk OSSOFF I ░░░░░░░░ I m sorry Yes ░░░░░░░░ has You have in ░░░░░░░░ PowerPoint here 17 18 ░░░░░░░░ in cuts to medical ░░░░░░░░ Again this is the ░░░░░░░░ is a 26 page ░░░░░░░░ to justify the budget ░░░░░░░░ and this is the ░░░░░░░░ hearing So who who ░░░░░░░░ getting fired I don ░░░░░░░░ know Mr Chairman if ░░░░░░░░ need to reconvene after ░░░░░░░░ We don t OSSOFF ░░░░░░░░ send us the materials ░░░░░░░░ I think this is ░░░░░░░░ We clearly and I ░░░░░░░░ follow up in my ░░░░░░░░ round Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░