Overview

• The administration’s proposed budget calls for cutting 83,000 VA positions—about 15% of its workforce—and slashing medical-service funding by $12 billion.
• It would boost private-sector veterans’ healthcare funding by 50% through a voucher-style program critics warn lacks oversight.
• More than 5,000 veterans and allies gathered on the National Mall on June 6, with over 200 coordinated protests held across the country.
• Opponents say merging specialized offices and relying on private providers risks lowering care quality and erasing expertise in areas like mental health and toxic exposure.
• VA Secretary Doug Collins insists the changes will trim bureaucratic bloat without affecting veterans’ benefits or access to care.