U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, led the committee in hearing from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins about his vision for VA and how he plans to improve the lives of veterans, their families, survivors and VA staff.

Sen. Moran praised the dedication of VA employees, many of whom are veterans, but criticized the VA’s bureaucracy for limiting its effectiveness. He said the current system doesn’t consistently serve veterans or their families well and shared that he regularly hears concerns from Kansas veterans, their loved ones, and VA workers about ongoing challenges.

“The current way of doing business at the VA is not always working for every veteran or military family. This committee has worked to improve the VA, to prove its services for millions of men and women around the country who rely upon the healthcare benefits and services that the VA provides,” said Sen. Moran. “Most of the time we’ve done that in a bipartisan way, and we’ve made progress. Yet, as we always say in this committee, more work remains to make this agency, this department, the second largest bureaucracy in the federal government perform to the levels that veterans, their families, and VA staff members deserve.”

Sen. Moran raised concerns about recent decisions to cut staff, cancel contracts, and restructure the department, saying these changes must be based on data, guided by veteran needs, and carried out respectfully. He stressed the importance of “right-sizing” the VA—not to meet arbitrary numbers, but to ensure it’s properly equipped to serve those who served the nation. Moran urged collaboration and accountability as the VA undergoes these major changes.