HELENA, Mont. – The State’s Congressional Delegation is expressing concerns that health care and mental care services for veterans may be impacted if the VA is compelled to reduce 10,000 front-line care providers.
CNN reported earlier this month that the VA had cut these front-line positions agency-wide.
Contrary to these reports, the leaders have refuted the claim. However, Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester, who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, is currently challenging the VA undersecretary’s stance on this issue.
Senator Tester stated, “Any reduction in hiring for critical mental health roles, especially in rural areas, could severely affect Montana veterans’ access to healthcare and benefits. Rather than decreasing, the VA should prioritize the recruitment of more mental health care providers in rural America.”
Republican Senator Steve Daines and Representatives Matt Rosendale and Ryan Zinke released a joint statement in a letter to the VA, expressing:
The letter stated, “We are seeking clarification on reports suggesting that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to eliminate a total of 10,000 frontline jobs that support clinical needs for veteran healthcare. These jobs include psychologists, clinical social workers, and others who play a direct role in the care veterans receive daily at VA facilities nationwide. If these reports are accurate, cutting frontline positions contradicts previous assurances by agency leaders that such roles would be protected. This underscores a series of failures within your department, exposing a disorganized VA incapable of adequately serving those who have sacrificed for our freedoms.”
The full letter can be accessed here.
