Veterans Affairs (VA) Director Doug Collins opposed the care of veterans, spurring critics accused of circulating “fake news” about the Trump administration's government efficiency (DOGE).
Collins, who continues to be an active colonel in the US Air Force reserves, has announced that his agency is opening a fourth new VA clinic in the months he has been in office.
“The bosses of government unions, Legacy Media and some of Congress have opened multiple new clinics to serve tens of thousands of veterans as they spread false rumors about cuts in health care and benefits in the VA,” Collins said in a statement.
“Don't believe fake news.”
VA Sec accuses reporters of spreading rumors about hurt veterans
On Friday, the VA opened a new clinic in Hamilton, Montana, marking its fourth ribbon cut since President Donald Trump took office just two months ago.
Previously, Collins oversaw the establishment of a new clinic in Virginia's fast-growing spotsylvania, between Washington, DC and Richmond, Virginia, and in Aurora, Colorado, Ridgewood, New York City.
Montana VA officials told Montana Public Radio last week that Collins had made it clear that despite trying to steal x into the bureaucracy, they would not “reduce” the service.
The 8,000-square-foot facility is 600% larger than the previously decommissioned clinics in the area.
Meanwhile, the new Spotsylvania facility is considered to be the largest facility of its kind, according to media in the Fredericksburg area.
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Interstate 95 and US-1 are the new site just south of the city, with an estimated 35,000 cases being seen annually.
The VA is ready to cut 15% of its workforce with Doge's efforts from 471,000 to 398,000, but Collins has repeatedly reiterated Fox News that there is no decline in the quality of service or care.
Collins responded to a warning from Senator Elissa Slotkin. He said such a cut would hurt service to veterans, and it should be a “bipartisan” advice to think it was a “bad idea.”
Citing the Government's Accountability Office (GAO), the secretary said that all parties should at least agree that the VA saw its services at “high risk” for waste, fraud, abuse and inadequate care.
“I've been here for four weeks and it's interesting that no solution has been proposed,” Collins told Fox & Friends last week.
“President Trump has brought generational change to DC, and he'll look at it all. So what we're looking at is that if our system is on a high risk list, if there's a problem, if the government recently decides to do something, then we might need to ask better questions.
Other liberals have denounced the administration for proposing cuts to VA staff, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, a ranking member of the Senate Health Committee.
“They intend to suck the Veterans Affairs Bureau to intestines and put the health and well-being of millions of veterans,” Sanders recently argued.
Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democratic veteran of Congress, said he regularly visits the VA on a personal level, looks at waiting lists and knows how troubling the process can be.
“All of that will get worse,” Moulton told MSNBC.
Collins said Trump has set targets for cutting back on strengthening, and Democrats don't understand that the expected staff figures are part of a “time-consuming deliberation process.”
“This includes career VA employees, senior executives,” he said.
Collins said GAO has had a VA on the high-risk list for 10 years, but is now a Congressional Democrat, “screams 'do nothing'”
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Of the past layoffs, Collins said the percentage is less than 1% of the agency's workforce and has not actually affected the front staff.
He also said that instead of reinvesting in patient care as part of Doge's work, contract-related spending $980 million is under scrutiny.
Additionally, the VA announced on Monday the staged treatment for “gender discomfort” that was supported by the Biden administration.
“Immediately effective, the VA will not provide intersex hormone therapy to veterans who have a current diagnosis or history that is consistent with gender discomfort, or who have symptoms that are presently associated with gender discomfort, unless they are receiving such care.
