news

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today sent a letter to Ginny Creasman, Director of the Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor, and Chris Cauley, Director of the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, requesting updates about the impact of the Trump Administration’s dismissal of more than 1,000 Veterans Affairs employees.

Dingell visited both VAs today as a part of her annual Valentines for Veterans tradition, and heard concerns and fears from many VA employees, both for their own job security, and for the health and safety of their patients.

“As part of my annual “Valentines for Veterans” program, I visited John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit and the Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor to deliver Valentine’s Day cards to veterans and thank them for their service. Today, as I have not seen before, the anxiety, stress, and tension among employees was clear,” Dingell wrote. “Employees expressed their thoughts quietly, very afraid of what would happen if they said something publicly. Those who confided in me expressed great worry and fear. While they’re concerned about the security of their own jobs, they’re even more concerned about the impact a reduction of staff would have on the veterans they serve. They worry about the adverse effects it would have ranging from the daily operation of the medical centers to patient health and safety.”

“Employees are also deeply alarmed by the impacts of the administration’s decisions on research. The ongoing federal hiring freeze, coupled with the VA’s decision to dismiss employees, is resulting in terminations of VA researchers across the country,” Dingell continued. “Not only will this significantly curtail our understanding of how to treat mental health and substance abuse, illnesses relating to toxic exposure, and other afflictions veterans face higher risks of developing, but also stunt our progress on prosthetics and other innovative devices and technologies. Researchers across the VA have been improving the lives of veterans for decades, and any staffing reduction will mean veterans no longer gain the benefits of the VA’s research that is supposed to work on their behalf. 

“Supporting the men and women who have served our nation should be a number one priority, and the quiet fears I heard today are deeply disturbing. This decision will have far-reaching consequences that harm veteran services and benefits and negatively impact critical research,” Dingell concluded. “We should be helping the VA recruit and retain a qualified workforce–not dismantling it, discouraging it, or causing low morale. Equally troubling, there seems to be no clear transition plan on how this announcement will be implemented.”

Specifically, Dingell requested answers to the following questions:

1. How many employees at your medical centers are being affected by the VA’s employee dismissal?
2. Have any research projects at your medical centers been halted or canceled due to recent orders or directives? If so, how many, and please provide a description of each project. 
3. How many staff members at your medical centers have accepted the federal buyout package? 
4. Our understanding is some of the positions affected by the dismissal and federal buyout program were management positions at the VA. Their job responsibilities cannot go unfilled. What is your plan to replace these employees or ensure their job responsibilities are being distributed to others? 
5. What is your timeline to resume deployment of the Oracle EHR? What funds are allocated for this deployment? How many staff members are working on this deployment, and do you require additional personnel to carry it out? 

View the full text of the letter here.