Medical care for veterans will continue at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the VA estimates that 97 percent of its workforce will remain on the job during the current government shutdown.
The shutdown began at midnight on Wednesday after the Republican-led House and Senate failed to garner enough support from Democrats for a funding bill that would keep the government running.
VA Secretary Doug Collins spoke directly to veterans, and blamed Congressional Democrats for the shutdown, during an appearance on Wednesday morning on Fox & Friends First.
“Your health care is there, our hospitals are open, our clinics are open, your disability benefits are going to be processed,” he said. “But, because of what the Democrats are doing in this one, unfortunately, they are going to put long-term risk of making things slower and more inefficient while they play out their partisan games.”
The shutdown began after Democrats refused to support a Republican effort to keep the government open unless they won a series of concessions centered on healthcare funding. (Congressional Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that will expire for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act.)
“Americans are hurting with higher costs,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday.
“Republicans are plunging America into a shutdown, rejecting bipartisan talks, pushing a partisan bill and risking America’s healthcare,” Sen. Schumer said before a Republican bill failed to surpass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate with 53 Republicans and two Democrats voting in favor.
VA’s primary call center at 1-800-MyVA411 and the Veterans Crisis line at 988, Press 1, will remain open 24/7 during the shutdown. The VA Benefit Hotline at 1-800-827-1000 will be available Monday through Friday from a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
Suicide prevention programs, homelessness services, and caregiver support will also continue.
Applications for VA benefits, including compensation, pension and housing benefits, will be processed and delivered, and the Board of Veterans’ Appeals will also continue to make decisions on veterans’ cases. Burials will also continue at VA national cemeteries, and applications for headstones, markers, and burial benefits processing will continue, according to VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz.
Kasperowicz, like Collins, decided to blame the Democrats.
“Radical liberals in Congress are trying to shut down the government to achieve their crazy fantasy of open borders, ‘transgender’ for everybody and men competing in women’s sports,” he said. “If they succeed, they will stop critical veterans care and assistance programs.”
During the shutdown, VA’s GI Bill (1-888-GIBILL-1) and National Cemetery Applicant Assistance (1-800-697-6947) hotlines will be closed.
VA benefits regional offices will be shuttered. Public affairs and outreach to veterans will cease, including social media, VetResources emails, and responses to press inquiries during the shutdown.
Grounds maintenance and placement of permanent headstones at VA cemeteries are also halted due to the shutdown, and applications for pre-need burial at VA cemeteries will not be processed.
New Presidential Memorial Certificates will not be printed and outreach to state, county, tribal, municipal, faith-based, and community-based partners by VA Central Office are also on pause during the shutdown.
VA will not provide veteran career counseling or transition assistance program activities while the government is shuttered.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.