FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 09, 2024
May 09, 2024
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-639-6405/202-374-6491
[email protected]
Largest VA Employee Union Echoes Senators’ Call to Address Persistent Staffing Shortages
Categories:
VA, Congress
AFGE president says staffing shortages are impeding veterans’ care
WASHINGTON – American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley today issued the following statement in response to a bipartisan letter from 17 U.S. senators to the chair and ranking member of the Senate appropriations subcommittee deliberating fiscal 2025 funding levels for the Department of Veterans Affairs:
“On behalf of the more than 304,000 employees AFGE represents across the VA, I echo the concerns of these U.S. senators that not enough is being done to help the agency address significant staffing shortages that are making it harder for veterans to get the care they deserve and have earned.
“As a veteran myself, I understand how critical it is to ensure our VA health care facilities have the clinical care staff they need to serve our military veterans. The VA is facing tens of thousands of vacancies across the country, and nearly all employees say they need more front-line staff, yet the agency is moving forward with plans to eliminate 10,000 full-time jobs because of budget shortfalls.
“Continued staffing and budget shortages will push veterans from the VA to private, for-profit community care providers who deliver inferior care at a higher cost to taxpayers.
“I thank the senators who are calling on their colleagues to hold the VA accountable for having the staff necessary to not only serve veterans but improve the quality and timeliness of the care they receive. Our veterans deserve nothing less than the best care we can provide, and that starts with making sure the VA has the staffing and resources it needs.”
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