Kiggans Praises Department of Veterans Affairs for Avoiding Full RIF and Improving Veteran Services

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) released the following statement following news that the Department of Veterans Affairs will not conduct a department-wide reduction-in-force (RIF): 

“I am pleased the Department of Veterans Affairs is not going to pursue a large-scale reduction-in-force (RIF) and have strong hopes that any early retirements will come from redundant positions and not essential personnel. This will safeguard operations at the VA and thus ensure service to our veterans. 

I am confident Secretary Collins will prioritize maintaining a robust healthcare workforce at the VA to ensure veteran care and benefits are not impacted. We can all agree that giving our veterans the care they need is essential. 

Under President Trump, I know that our veterans will be put first. In fact, the VA’s performance has continued to improve under his leadership–with the disability claims backlog already down nearly 30%.  

The work Secretary Collins is doing to modernize the VA’s operations and get our veterans the quality of care they need is a breath of fresh air. By June, the VA had already processed 2 million disability claims, accelerated the implementation of the integrated electronic health record system, and made it easier for survivors to get benefits. 

These accomplishments on behalf of our veterans deserve recognition.”