Rep. Jen Kiggans Concerns Over Veterans Affairs Care Come Too Little, Too Late
Virginia Beach, VA – As the Trump administration continues to strip resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rep. Jen Kiggans remains complicit through her inaction and harmful voting record. A newly released report found that the VA has lost roughly 40,000 workers, driving mental health care wait times up to an average of 52 days in Virginia.
Rep. Jen Kiggans has supported this Administration's commitment to the mass downsizing of the VA. She additionally voted for the Republican Tax Law, which strips many veterans of health care. Rep. Jen Kiggans sent a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs raising concerns about leadership issues at the Hampton VA Medical Center, but this is not enough.
“Leadership issues cannot be separated from the actions of this Administration, which has slashed tens of thousands of VA positions, frozen hiring, and pushed experienced health care providers out. The damage is already done, and Rep. Jen Kiggans’ strongly worded letter is too late,” said Emily Yeatts, Affordable Virginia Campaign Director. “If she is serious about fixing problems at the VA, she should start by opposing an Administration that is actively cutting its resources and by reversing her own cuts that strip health care away from veterans.”
“I've been trying to get a new primary care doctor through the VA since October. I've called every week, often multiple times a week to try to schedule. They confirm nobody has assigned me a primary care doctor, despite me requesting one in October,” said J, Hampton Roads Veteran. “It's February, and I still don't have a primary care doctor. Long wait times are the result of understaffing and cuts. Our elected leaders should be focused on keeping the VA fully staffed and not actively slashing health care programs veterans rely on.”
Virginia has one of the highest percentages of veterans in the country, with Rep. Kiggans' district being home to the most veterans in the Commonwealth. Affordable Virginia has released an ad featuring a local veteran calling out Rep. Jen Kiggans for voting to cut the health care that so many veterans rely on, and a recent op-ed echoed that message, calling on her to start standing up for the veterans she represents.
Kiggans’ votes have negatively impacted health care in other ways. This past year, Rep. Kiggans has:
Voted to slash health care for 260,000 Medicaid recipients in Virginia. There are 47,000 Virginia veterans who rely on Medicaid. These cuts will also threaten health care jobs and close rural hospitals here in the Commonwealth.
Voted against restoring health care tax credits, impacting 326,000 Virginians who are currently facing steep premium hikes due to the expiration of the credits in 2025.