Wichita Standard

At a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, Richard Blumenthal, the committee's Ranking Member, declared his support for fellow Committee member Ruben Gallego in blocking all VA nominees. This action protests the cuts to VA care and benefits by President Donald Trump's administration. Blumenthal pledged to use various methods to hold the administration accountable, referencing the oversight shadow hearings he launched the previous week.

Blumenthal emphasized that Gallego's decision to block nominations indicates a strong objection. He commented, “...I think the Senate is entitled to a full debate on each of these nominations…The impacts of the roll-back and the heartless, heartbreaking cuts in veterans’ services are already evident to many of us who were home just this past weekend.”

Concerns were raised about transparency issues involving VA Secretary Doug Collins. Blumenthal announced a shadow hearing to address the impacts of these cuts, with veterans and stakeholders discussing the mass firings that have affected veterans employed in the federal sector. “Tomorrow at a shadow hearing – as we’ve called it, beginning at 3:00 PM – we’re going to explore some of the real life impacts of the cuts, freezes, and firings that have occurred already," Blumenthal noted.

Blumenthal's address expressed the urgent need for clarity from the Trump administration on the VA cuts. “...we’re going to have this shadow hearing with veterans who are our eyes and ears about what is actually happening…but we need answers right away to the questions we have been asking…," he concluded.

Blumenthal also scrutinized the nominee for VA General Counsel, Lieutenant Colonel James Baehr, over a policy requiring Veterans Benefits Administration employees to first contact Trump VA political appointees before seeking legal advice. Highlighting this, Blumenthal remarked, “...I think that’s a complicated answer to a question that could be answered very simply that employees should be free to seek legal advice on issues before they take action that might violate the law.”

Blumenthal's statements also addressed various nominees for critical positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs, expressing dissatisfaction with the current administration's approach to its workforce reduction strategies. A shadow hearing will include testimony from veterans impacted by these policies and emphasizes the increasing frustration among the veteran community.