Mobile Courant

Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) engaged in a nomination hearing with Doug Collins, the nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Trump. The session took place within the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, where Tuberville addressed several concerns regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Senator Tuberville raised questions about increasing oversight at the VA and emphasized the need to prevent future budget shortfalls. He expressed concern over taxpayer-funded services being provided to illegal aliens and highlighted the importance of reforming what he described as a "broken VA."

In his remarks, Tuberville stated: “Thank you, Congressman, for wanting to take this on—you and your family." He pointed out that the VA is "the largest healthcare system in the world" and stressed the necessity of accountability among personnel handling veterans' affairs.

Collins responded affirmatively to Tuberville's inquiries about ensuring accountability within the VA. He said: “Senator, thank you for that. I mean I your last profession, not just your profession, but I think every other profession in the world expects accountability.” Collins pledged to uphold standards set by legislation like "[The VA] Accountability Whistleblower [Protection] Act," which aims to remove employees who do not fulfill their duties.

Tuberville also brought up reports from 2023 indicating that some VA Community Care Systems were funding healthcare for illegal aliens. Collins assured him: “Yes, Senator I will. I do not believe any money that’s taken outside the mission of the VA to help the veteran is a worthy cause.”

Another issue discussed was a reported $3 billion budget shortfall at the VA during July under President Biden's administration. Tuberville expressed frustration over this discrepancy after discovering an actual surplus.

Additionally, electronic healthcare records were mentioned as an area needing improvement. Tuberville noted: “[but we have spent] $20 billion on updating our VA’s electronic healthcare records over the last decade.” Collins acknowledged these challenges and committed to addressing them promptly.

Tuberville concluded his participation by thanking Collins for his responses.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and serves on several committees including Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs.