VA secretary insists massive staff cuts needed to refocus department

VeteransAffairsSecretaryDougCollinsonWednesdayconfirmedplanstoscalebackhisdepartment’sworkforcebyroughly80,000staffersincomingmonths,sayingthemovesareneededtoproperlybalanceandreformthemassivefederalbureaucracy. “Iftheanswerwasmoneyandpeople,thenweshouldhavesolvedourproblemsatVAalongtimeago,”CollinssaidinaninterviewwithMilitaryTimes.“Theproblemisnotresourcesatthispoint.Thequestionis,areweutilizingthatfunctionthebestwaywepossiblycan? “We’relookingatitfromtheperspectiveof,‘Howdowemakethegreatestemployeesintheworld—whichIthinkourVAemployeesare—better,moreefficient?’Thegovernmentisnotaboutemployingpeople,it’saboutservingpeople.That’swhatwe’redoinghere.” Thecommentscameaftertheleakofaninternalmemothatoutlinedplanstoscalebackthedepartment’sworkforceto2019levels,beforesignificanthiringeffortsduringPresidentJoeBiden’sadministration.GovernmentExecutivefirstreportedonthedocument. RELATEDAninternalme