VA Secretary Doug Collins has issued a statement ahead of Veterans Day 2025, emphasizing the Department of Veterans Affairs' commitment to improving services for veterans. In his remarks, Collins said, “America’s Veterans have made our country – and our military – the greatest in the world. On Veterans Day, we honor these patriots, celebrate them for protecting our freedoms and salute them for keeping us safe."
He continued by outlining the department's mission: “Keeping the promises America has made to its Veterans is the sole purpose of the Department of Veterans Affairs. I am proud of the work we’ve done under President Trump to transform VA from a bureaucratic organization to a service organization, cutting red tape and placing Veterans at the center of everything we do along the way. And we’re just getting started.”
According to information released by Collins, since January 20, 2025, there has been a reduction of more than 49% in the backlog of veterans waiting for benefits. This follows an increase in claims backlog during the previous administration.
The VA reports that it processed three million disability claims by September 30, marking a record high for a fiscal year. The department also expanded access by opening 20 new health care clinics across various locations.
To improve appointment availability, more than 1.4 million appointments were scheduled outside regular hours since January 20, offering veterans greater flexibility in accessing care.
Infrastructure improvements are underway with an additional $800 million being allocated from savings resulting from departmental reforms.
Efforts have also been made to streamline access to non-VA providers and implement reforms intended to ease survivor benefits processes. The deployment of an integrated electronic health record system is being accelerated after delays in previous years.
A partnership with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services led to identifying and recovering $106 million related to duplicate billing issues.
In fiscal year 2025, nearly 52,000 homeless veterans were permanently housed—the highest number since fiscal year 2019.
The department has increased in-office staffing levels and redirected funds previously spent on union contracts back toward veteran services. Additionally, policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been ended at VA with over $14 million reallocated from DEI spending.
Treatment for gender dysphoria is being phased out as part of ongoing policy changes within the agency.
