John Boozman: “I understand Senator Duckworth's concern. However, Secretary Collins publicly announced that, through normal attrition…”

“I understand Senator Duckworth's concern. However, Secretary Collins publicly announced that, through normal attrition, early retirements, and deferred resignations, the VA staff would be properly sized by the end of fiscal year 2025. The rumored large-scale reduction in force is not necessary, and the VA has no plans to seek any further staffing reductions. Mission-critical positions at the VA are exempt from a hiring freeze and are not eligible for early retirement or deferred resignations. To quote Secretary Collins: A department-wide RIF is off the table. Senator Tuberville has an amendment that does not focus on rumored RIFs that will not take place but instead focuses on VA staffing reviews, the new staffing models it is pursuing, and the methodology underpinning these efforts. For that reason, I ask for a ``no'' vote on this amendment.”