VA staffing in 2026: what critics report and what the VA says
Few veterans issues are more disputed right now than the size of the VA workforce. The VA and its critics agree on some facts and sharply disagree on others. This article lays out both sides and what to watch for.
The reporting below is from January 2026 and may have been updated since. Check current news and your local VA facility for the latest.
# What changed
According to Federal News Network, the VA lifted its hiring freeze for the Veterans Health Administration in January 2026. Staffing caps remain, though. Each regional network has a baseline number of positions, and hiring above it needs approval from a VA committee.
# The background
The VA originally planned to cut about 83,000 jobs, partly through layoffs. It later changed course and aimed to eliminate 30,000 positions through attrition by the end of fiscal 2025. The agency fired about 2,400 probationary employees and relied mostly on voluntary separation incentives.
# What critics say
- Senate Democrats report that the VA lost more than 40,000 employees last year, 88% of them in health care, including about 10,000 frontline roles.
- They cite net declines of about 3,000 nurses, 1,000 physicians and 1,550 appointment schedulers.
- Their report says new-patient wait times for mental health appointments exceeded 40 days in 14 states in early January, compared with a national average of 35 days.
- Facility leaders described long delays and denials in hiring approvals.
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the ranking Democrat on the Senate VA Committee, says the VA is "diminished" and that longer waits are the result.
# What the VA says
- A VA spokesperson says the agency met its goal of cutting 30,000 positions but did not lose 40,000 employees.
- The VA disputes the wait-time findings. It says established mental health patients wait under six days and new patients wait 19 days.
- VA Secretary Doug Collins has defended a smaller workforce, arguing that more staff does not always mean better outcomes.
- The VA has pointed to record claims processing and new walk-in clinics as signs of improvement. Stars and Stripes reported in October that the VA says it has opened more than 40 walk-in clinics since January 2025.
# Why the numbers differ
Counting employees is not simple. Gross departures, net change after hires, and specific job categories each give a different number. Wait times also depend on what is measured: established or new patients, and which service. When two sets of figures disagree, check what each one counts.
# What you can do
- If you wait longer than the VA's access standards allow, ask about community care. See our explainer on how community care eligibility works.
- Use secure messaging and the VA Health and Benefits app to schedule and follow up.
- If you cannot get an appointment, contact your facility's patient advocate and your veterans service officer.
Source: Federal News Network, January 2026. Claims about clinics are from Stars and Stripes.