HELENA, Mont. – The State’s Congressional Delegation is concerned that health care and mental care services for veterans could be at risk if the VA is forced to cut 10,000 front-line care providers.
CNN reported earlier this month that the VA had removed these front-line positions agency-wide.
Although leaders are now denying these claims, Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester, who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, is currently challenging the VA undersecretary’s stance and striving to prevent any potential cuts.
Senator Tester emphasized, “Any move to reduce the hiring of much-needed mental health professionals, particularly in rural regions, could severely impact Montana veterans’ access to health care and benefits. The VA should be prioritizing the recruitment of more mental health care providers in rural America, not decreasing their numbers.”
Republican Senator Steve Daines and Representatives Matt Rosendale and Ryan Zinke issued a joint statement in a letter to the VA expressing their concerns:
In their letter, they wrote, “We are reaching out regarding reports in the media suggesting that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning to eliminate a total of 10,000 front-line jobs critical to the provision of clinical care for veteran health needs. These 10,000 positions include psychologists, clinical social workers, and others who directly impact the care received by veterans at VA facilities nationwide. If these reports are accurate, the alleged cuts to front-line staff directly contradict previous assurances made by you and other VA officials that such positions would not be affected. These potential cuts are just the latest in a series of failures within your department, revealing a disorganized and ill-equipped VA that is failing to adequately serve those who have sacrificed for our freedoms.”
The full letter can be accessed through this link.
