Nearly 37,000 employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been furloughed or are working without pay as a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown attributed to Democratic lawmakers. While VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, and Vet Centers continue normal operations due to advance appropriations from Congress, other services have been disrupted.
VA benefits such as compensation, pension, education, and housing remain unaffected for now. Burials at VA national cemeteries are also continuing. However, several key services have been halted during the shutdown.
More than 900,000 veterans currently do not have access to assistance from the GI Bill Hotline since it has ceased operations. Over 100,000 enrolled veterans cannot receive counseling or case management through the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program because those staff members have been furloughed. The backlog for new VR&E applicants has reached nearly 62,000 cases.
In addition, all 56 VA regional benefits offices are closed to the public. The VA’s Manila regional office is in the process of closing permanently after its legal authority expired on September 30. More than 16,000 service members transitioning out of military service are unable to attend VA transition briefings due to a lapse in contract funding; these individuals still have online access to briefing materials.
Grounds maintenance and placement of permanent headstones at 157 VA national cemeteries across the United States have also stopped.
VA Secretary Doug Collins stated: “The Democrats’ government shutdown is limiting services for Veterans and making life miserable for VA employees, and things are only going to get worse as time goes on,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “It’s time for Democrats to stop using the suffering of Americans as political leverage to give free health care to illegal immigrants. I call on them to open the government and enable VA to provide the complete and comprehensive services America’s Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors have earned.”
For more information on how the Democrats’ government shutdown is impacting VA, see here.
