Doug Collins, a former GOP congressman and Air Force reserve chaplain, has been confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with a significant majority vote of 77-23. This confirmation comes just two weeks into the Trump administration, providing the VA with a Senate-confirmed leader at a critical time.
Collins' confirmation process was relatively smooth, especially compared to some of Trump's other Cabinet picks. During his hearing before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Collins vowed to preserve the VA's health-care system while also enhancing the private-sector care available to veterans using VA funding. He emphasized his commitment to a strong VA, stating, "We're going to fight for a strong VA. I believe you can have a strong VA as it currently exists and have a community care aspect."
One of the major challenges Collins will face is the VA's $16 billion electronic health records overhaul, which has been on hold since 2023 due to safety concerns and glitches in the new program. Collins has pledged to address this issue promptly, stating that he will bring all stakeholders, including the vendor and VA employees, to the table to resolve the problems.
Another significant challenge is the backlog of veterans’ claims seeking benefits. Collins has expressed interest in using artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline the process, particularly for simpler claims, allowing more focus on the more complex ones.
Collins takes over the VA at a time when the department is dealing with budget woes, partly due to the expansion of veterans eligible for VA care under the PACT Act and the increased availability of private-sector care. The PACT Act, a bipartisan law, aims to provide care and benefits to veterans suffering from toxic exposure-related conditions, further straining the VA's resources.
In addition to these challenges, Collins will have to navigate the impact of President Trump’s administration policies, such as the federal hiring freeze and buyouts offered to federal employees. These measures have raised concerns among Democrats and labor groups about the potential negative impact on veterans’ care. U.S. Rep. Mark Takano warned that a wave of buyouts could hurt the care provided by the VA, as many of the employees are veterans themselves.
Despite these challenges, Collins has received support from various groups, including the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The AAMC looks forward to working with Collins to build on their partnership to provide high-quality care to veterans, while the DAV expressed hope that Collins will carry out sensible reforms to deliver timely and high-quality health care and benefits.
Immediately after his confirmation, Senate Democrats, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, sent Collins a letter urging him to take several quick actions, such as exempting the entire VA workforce from the federal hiring freeze, reinstating the VA inspector general fired by Trump, and rescinding the delayed resignation offers sent to VA employees. This indicates that while Collins has been confirmed, his actions will be closely monitored by Democrats.
