WASHINGTON – U.S. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released a statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report finding that the VA’s health system is facing a severe staffing shortage of clinical and nonclinical workers:

“Under this administration, we’ve seen policy after policy that makes it harder for public servants to do their jobs and ultimately harder for veterans to get the care they’ve earned. Now the VA’s independent watchdog says that every single veterans health system nationwide is experiencing staffing shortages – and that severe shortages are up 50 percent from last year. We’re talking about nurses, medical officers, psychologists, and even police officers.

“We also know from recent jobs reports that applications to work at the VA are plummeting. How do skyrocketing staffing shortages and declining applicant pools make it more ‘efficient’ for veterans to access the care and services they deserve? The answer is: they don’t. If the administration is serious about honoring our veterans, it needs to stop undermining the VA workforce and start recruiting and retaining the skilled professionals who care for our heroes.”

The OIG’s survey – conducted between March 26 and mid-April – found that every veterans health system nationwide reported at least some degree of occupational staffing shortage. The most common shortage areas included medical officers, nurses, psychology roles, and police officers.

Sen. Warner has long championed legislation and oversight to improve care and services for veterans. He has been a leading voice in strengthening suicide prevention efforts, including expanding access to mental health care. Warner has also fought to secure long-delayed approvals for VA medical facility leases across the country – including in Virginia – so that the VA can modernize its infrastructure and bring services closer to the communities veterans call home.

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