Brown Demands Answers on Trump Staff Cuts at Stokes VA

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel M. Brown (OH-11) sent a letter to the Trump Administration demanding answers on the scope of staffing cuts at the Louis Stokes Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Cleveland and the impact of these cuts on patient care for Northeast Ohio veterans. 

To date, the VA has lost thousands of mission-essential employees under Trump, including 1,068 physicians and 3,002 nurses, nationwide. Last month, the Trump Administration announced a plan to cut thousands of additional VA health care positions nationwide. Under the Trump VA reorganization plan, 35,000 jobs at the VA would be cut. Brown is concerned that the Trump plan includes eliminating unfilled positions at Stokes, including providers of clinical mental health care.  

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Brown wrote to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas Collins expressing “concern regarding actions you have taken which are severely and negatively impacting the workforce of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)” and requesting “detailed data regarding the VA workforce to assess the impact of attrition on veteran access to care and benefits in Ohio’s 11^th Congressional District.” 

Brown has also requested “detailed data on the number and type of veteran appointments cancelled or rescheduled due to staffing shortages” and a full accounting of staff departures at Stokes VA since the beginning of last year. 

“After firing and forcing out thousands of VA workers last year, the Trump Administration now wants to eliminate 35,000 more health care positions nationwide. I am deeply concerned that these cuts are already impacting care at Stokes VA and will lead to longer waits and fewer providers,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown. “No veteran in Northeast Ohio thinks the problem with their health care is that there are too many doctors or nurses at the VA. The real problem is not enough staff and not enough support. Cutting positions that were meant to care for veterans is an attack on the VA, plain and simple. We need to stop the cuts, end the DOGE-inspired bullying of VA workers and give doctors, nurses, and VA staff the resources they need to care for veterans. Northeast Ohio Veterans deserve better and they deserve answers from this administration.”

Last year, the VA reported suicide is the 12^th-leading cause of death for veterans and the 2^nd leading cause of death for veterans under 45. The suicide rate for veterans is two to three times higher compared to non-veterans.  

The text of the letter is as follows (pdf link): 

The Honorable Douglas A. Collins                                                            

Secretary                                                                                           

Department of Veterans Affairs                                                      

810 Vermont Ave NW                                                                      

Washington, D.C.  20420                                                               

Dear Secretary Collins: 

I am writing with concern regarding actions you have taken which are severely and negatively impacting the workforce of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Under your leadership, VA has lost 43,000 employees, including those who serve in veteran-facing and mission critical roles. Additionally, you recently made the decision to cut over 35,000 unfilled positions and have yet to explain how these cuts are being executed, which positions are affected, where they are located, and why this decision was made.^[1] This action is deeply troubling, given the wellknown and well-documented clinical staffing shortages VA faces.^[2] To that end, I request detailed data regarding the VA workforce to assess the impact of attrition on veteran access to care and benefits in Ohio’s 11^th Congressional District. 

You have repeatedly stated that changes you are making at VA would not impact the delivery of care and benefits to veterans. However, the October issue of VA’s Workforce Dashboard shows that, for FY 2025, the net losses for veteran-facing employees across VA were estimated at over 12,100. This is a stark number compared to the Biden Administration, which added a net 8,800 employees during FY 2024.³ The current number of employee losses under your leadership includes mission-essential jobs. Specifically, you have lost over: 3,002 registered nurses, 1,556 medical support assistants, 1,068 physicians, and 1,905 veteran claim examiners. 

As the Representative from Ohio’s 11^th Congressional District, which is home to the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the broader VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, I am requesting detailed information about the current workforce situation in my district so that I can assess the impact to the veterans I represent. Specifically, I ask for data on all employee departures from January 1, 2025, through January 6, 2026, within the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System. 

The data should include:  

• Occupation
• Job title
• Grade and step level
• Veteran status
• Disability status
• Military spouse status
• Years in service at VA
• Facility/location
• Reason for departure
• Whether the employee was retirement-eligible
• Whether the employee participated in the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP)
• Whether the employee participated in Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA)
• Whether the employee was terminated
• Whether the employee resigned 

I also request detailed data on the number and type of veteran appointments cancelled or rescheduled due to staffing shortages at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System since January 1, 2025. 

Further, please provide detailed data on the “staffing baseline” and/or “workforce cap” for each occupation at Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and across the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System and a list of all unencumbered positions at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and across the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System that have been or will be removed from organizational charts, including data on the length of time that position has been vacant. Please also provide data on any and all encumbered positions that have been, will be, or are being considered for realignment to a different function, office, specialty, and/or geographic location.  This information is critical to understanding workforce trends and ensuring the needs of veterans in Ohio’s 11^th Congressional District continue to be met. 

I urge your prompt attention to this request and look forward to your detailed response by February 6, 2026. 

Sincerely,

Shontel M. Brown 

Member of Congress (OH-11)

CC: Jill Dietrich Mellon JD, MBA, FACHE

                   Executive Director/CEO

       VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System