“No Hiring Freeze,” VA Says — But Lawmakers See Staffing Gaps

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says it has no hiring constraints and can bring on staff whenever positions are needed. 

That’s what VA Secretary Doug Collins told a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in a budget hearing. 

“Right now, we’re hiring every position that needs to be hired. There’s no hiring shortage, no hiring freeze of anybody. If they need the people, they can hire the people,” Secretary Collins told the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

The VA’s budget proposal calls for the hiring of about 6,000 employees in fiscal year (FY) 2027—a 1.5 percent increase—with most of the new hires going into health care operations.

But Democrats pushed back, stating the plan does not match rising demand for services and could further strain clinical staffing.

“We see growing demand for VA care, but we're not seeing here the request for the investments in clinical staff to reflect that,” said Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA). 

The VA lost about 30,000 employees in the past year and removed about 26,000 positions from its rolls. Taken together, lawmakers note that the proposed hiring increase would only partially offset recent workforce reductions.

Faster Hiring

Secretary Collins noted the VA has eight pilot programs ongoing to get new hires started on the job quicker, with the goal of cutting hiring times from the current average of 48 days, to about 30 to 40 days. That includes a program that allows employees to start working before they fully go through the vetting process. 

“We’re making sure all the security boxes are checked, all the credentialing boxes are checked, which is about five to seven days. And then we’re going to get them in the door, and they have to fill out the rest of it,” said Secretary Collins. 

Pay Flexibility 

The Secretary also urged Congress to provide greater flexibility on top pay levels for VA doctors. 

Lawmakers recently gave the department authority to exceed the $400,000 salary cap for physicians in specialized fields, but members of both parties have raised concerns that the VA is not fully using that authority.

EHR Rollout Update 

While lawmakers pressed the VA on staffing, they also raised questions about VA’s rollout of its Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

Secretary Collins told senators that the recent rollout of EHR “has been phenomenal, even by industry standard.”

The system was rolled out at four VA clinics in Michigan on April 11, 2026. It’s the first new deployment of EHR since 2023, when the project was paused due to safety concerns and contract negotiations. 

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) said he’s “cautiously optimistic that future rollouts are going to be just as successful” but is concerned about an “accelerated deployment schedule.” 

EHR launches in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana are scheduled for the summer.