Kelly, Colleagues Oppose Staffing Cuts at the Phoenix VA

This week, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and members of the Arizona Democratic Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins demanding that the administration reverse their efforts to cut VA Phoenix Health Care System providers and support staff  Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), and Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03) signed the letter.

“We write with concern about reports that the Veterans Affairs (VA) Phoenix Health Care System plans to lay off 15% of its staff—around 800 employees—including providers and support staff as part of VA’s planned reduction in force,” the lawmakers wrote. “This will lead to delays in care that will hurt Arizona veterans and erode their trust in their care.” 

The letter details that previous occupational shortages outlined by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) have already affected care quality by leading to waiting times above the standard of care. The lawmakers also emphasize that cutting VA staff to pre-2019 levels will affect the more than 9,000 Arizona veterans who enrolled in VA health care under the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, or PACT Act—a bipartisan bill passed in 2022 that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. 

“Our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors deserve the highest standard of care,” Kelly, Gallego, Stanton, and Ansari state.

Click here to read the full letter.