North Charlotte Today

Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues have called for an immediate hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) budget shortfall, recently announced to be nearly $15 billion. The letter was addressed to Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

“The sudden nature of the issue, and the sheer financial volume of the request, are both cause for concern and call into question the information previously reported by VA. As members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, we have an obligation to conduct oversight of the Department. If the problem is not identified and addressed, it is perpetuated. VA must be held to the highest standard in delivering quality, transparent, and efficient care, benefits, and services to our veterans while acting as exemplary stewards of taxpayer dollars,” stated the senators.

They further emphasized their responsibility: “Our Committee is directly responsible for conducting rigorous oversight and this budget shortfall proves that VA is in desperate need of scrutiny and accountability. Our obligation is not absolved because the Senate is departing for a five-week recess. The VA Secretary needs to immediately testify in-person before the Committee to answer the nearly $15 billion question before a supplemental is considered. The American people, and especially our veterans, deserve a government operating with full transparency and integrity. They expect results, not a blank check to further bureaucratic mismanagement.”

The urgency was underscored: “The answers and accountability owed to our veterans cannot wait until the Senate returns on September 9, just days before the VA says that benefits payments will be disrupted. As such, we urge you to immediately schedule a hearing so we can conduct proper oversight and get to the bottom of this concerning report. Once we get these critical answers, then we can quickly take appropriate action to ensure payments continue to our veterans and ensure this unacceptable financial mismanagement does not jeopardize veterans again.”

This budget shortfall represents a significant deviation from what was projected in the FY 2025 budget request presented by the Biden-Harris administration four months ago. The deficit within VHA alone surpasses the entire annual budget of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Full text of their letter can be accessed [here].