WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) and Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.-08) introduced bipartisan legislation to increase transparency and accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), helping address understaffing at facilities across the country, including the Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center, and ensure veterans receive the care they earned.
“I hear from veterans across my district who cannot get the care they need because of staffing shortages and delays at the Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center. That is simply unacceptable, and it needs to be fixed immediately,” said Vindman. “Our veterans served this country with honor, and they deserve a VA that is fully staffed, transparent, and accountable. That is why I am leading this legislation to ensure the VA fulfills its duty and fully staffs the facility in Fredericksburg and others across the nation. As the saying goes, what gets measured gets managed, and we’re going to measure to ensure the VA does its job.”
The ongoing understaffing at the facility is having real consequences for Virginia’s veteran community, with wait times for mental health appointments reaching 88 days at the Fredericksburg facility. Many veterans have been forced to travel hours to receive care, creating unnecessary burdens and barriers to essential health services.
“The ongoing personnel and staffing problems at the Fredericksburg VA clinic represent how poorly our government manages Veterans Affairs activities across administrations. The grossly strict 5-minute no-show policy and the unacceptable wait times experienced by veterans at the clinic — including myself — are perfect examples of this,” said Justin Carraquillo, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has struggled to get the care he needs at the Fredericksburg facility. “Our veteran patients deserve world class healthcare, a service that we are clearly not providing. The legislation authored by Rep. Vindman will certainly shed light on the talent management issues plaguing the VA’s quality of care and service. We ask our veterans to sacrifice their time, their health, and even their lives in service to our great nation. Simply, our veterans have earned our absolute best, something we can all agree on regardless of political belief.”
Vindman’s VHA Transparency and Accountability Act would require the VA to publish monthly staffing and vacancy data for the Veterans Health Administration by occupation and medical facility. This legislation would amend the VA MISSION Act to require monthly publication of VHA staffing and vacancy data, broken down by occupation and medical facility, replacing the current quarterly reporting requirement.
“I am proud to say that my district is home to Luke Air Force Base and well over 50,000 veterans. This bill will allow me, and my colleagues to better assess the strengths and weaknesses of VA medical facility staffing in order to take appropriate action to improve the quality of healthcare that our veterans are entitled to,” said Hamadeh. “It’s my honor to work across the political aisle to introduce the VHA Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act, which should ultimately elevate the quality-of-care our veterans receive.”
This bill is endorsed by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Vet Voice Foundation, National Association of Veteran Affairs Physicians and Dentists (NAVAPD), the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA), the Association of VA Neurology Services (AVNS), and the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute.
“Veterans cannot access timely, high-quality health care without a strong and adequately staffed Veterans Health Administration workforce. Persistent staffing shortages and workforce gaps continue to hinder access to care throughout the VA health care system. The Veterans Health Administration Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act would improve transparency, strengthen congressional oversight and provide policymakers with more frequent, detailed and facility-specific data needed to identify workforce challenges and target recruitment, retention and workforce planning efforts where they are needed most. Increased accountability and visibility into VHA staffing trends will help ensure VA is better equipped to meet the evolving health care needs of disabled veterans. DAV thanks Rep. Vindman, for introducing this important legislation and looks forward to working with Congress to advance its enactment,” said Jon Retzer, National Legislative Director of Disabled American Veterans.
“When critical VA positions sit vacant, veterans feel it in the form of longer wait times, delayed care, and added strain on the providers who serve them. The Veterans Health Administration Personnel Accountability and Transparency Act will give Congress, the veterans community, and the public a clearer, more timely picture of staffing shortages across the VA healthcare system. Transparency is the first step toward accountability, and accountability is essential to ensuring veterans get the care they’ve earned. We thank Rep. Vindman for his leadership on this important issue,” said Janessa Goldbeck, Marine Corps Veteran and CEO of Vet Voice Foundation.
“The Association of VA Neurology Services (AVANS) supports excellent VA care for veterans with neurological disorders in an environment that attracts and retains the best clinicians. Unfilled vacancies can compromise this care, particularly in specialized programs like the neurology Centers of Excellence and the neurology tele-programs that require subspecialty expertise,” said Glenn D. Graham, President of the Association of VA Neurology Services. “AVANS endorses the Veterans Health Administration Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act, which calls for more frequent reporting and increased tracking of staffing and vacancy data for these and other critical positions.”
“Veterans cannot afford to wait for outdated staffing reports while critical vacancies go unfilled. Monthly, facility-level transparency will help expose shortages in real time, strengthen accountability, and ensure the VA has the physicians and dentists needed to deliver the timely, high-quality care veterans have earned,” said a National Association of Veteran Affairs Physicians and Dentists spokesperson.
“The Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA) enthusiastically supports the VHA Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act as it will significantly improve oversight of VA workforce staffing reports. The bill would require monthly, facility-level staffing and vacancy data broken down by occupation, which improves how data is reported to Congress and the Veteran community. The act will deliver needed information allowing policymakers to better understand how staffing changes connect to wait times, community care referrals, and the quality of care provided to Veterans. “We urge Congress to pass the bill quickly,” said Michelle Salazar-Rodríguez, Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs President.
“You can’t fix a problem if you’re always looking three months in the past. That’s why the VHA Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act is an important step toward strengthening oversight of the VA healthcare system. Right now, Congress, veterans organizations, and the public are often forced to rely on outdated staffing data while veterans are already feeling the impact through longer wait times and reduced access to care. This legislation would provide monthly, facility-level staffing and vacancy data, giving policymakers and oversight bodies a much clearer picture of what’s happening across the VA healthcare system. That’s not just a transparency issue, it’s an accountability issue. If veterans are waiting longer for appointments because a facility is understaffed, Congress should know about it in real time, not months later. Better data leads to better oversight, and better oversight helps ensure veterans receive the timely, high-quality care they’ve earned,” said Oscar Arbulu, Executive Director, Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute.
BACKGROUND:
In five different letters, Vindman called for accountability and a clear timeline to bring the facility to full capacity, ensuring our nation’s veterans receive the care they earned through their service.
- Vindman sent the first letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on April 10, 2025. Read the letter here.
- Vindman sent the second letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on October 6, 2025. Read the letter here.
- Vindman sent the third letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on October 17, 2025. Read the letter here.
- Vindman sent the fourth letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on October 27, 2025. Read the letter here.
- Vindman sent the fifth letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on April 10, 2026. Read the letter here.
A previously scheduled in-person meeting to address the staffing shortages and operational delays was also canceled, further delaying progress.
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