Budzinski Calls Out House Veterans Affairs Committee for Hosting Sales Pitch with VA in Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) participated in a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing where medical technology executives pitched their products to be bought by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In her remarks, Budzinski questioned why the committee was discussing cutting-edge biomedical equipment, while the VA is in crisis in the wake of the Trump administration’s ongoing hiring freeze and mass firings of VA employees. In fact, no representative from the VA was present at the hearing. 

WATCH: Budzinski Calls Out House Veterans Affairs Committee for Hosting Sales Pitch with VA in Crisis

Congresswoman Budzinski joined House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano in sending a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins expressing grave concern with President Trump’s recent executive orders on the VA research workforce. The lawmakers demanded answers about what firing these employees means for the future of VA research – including ongoing clinical trials.

Budzinski’s remarks as prepared for delivery can be found below:

Good morning. Thank you to Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for convening this hearing. And thank you to our witnesses for being here today. 

I appreciate the pursuit of innovative technologies that help deliver world-class health care to our veterans – a goal I think everyone in this room shares. 

However, I am deeply concerned that the Trump administration and Secretary Collins are rapidly dismantling the VA workforce, threatening VA’s healthcare operations. 

I’ve been listening to veterans. I hosted an event with Senator Duckworth and local VFW and American Legion chapters in my district on Sunday, and met with a Tri-State women warriors network just yesterday. 

I listened to veterans sharing stories of friends who committed suicide… veterans who rely on the VA every day, asking me about who has been laid off and why. 

Those are questions I can’t answer because those are questions this Administration itself can’t answer. When the VA itself is headed toward a crisis, why are we having this discussion about biotech? 

Without VA present, this hearing is a missed opportunity to look at VA’s capacity – at the staffing and resources needed – to deliver care, to improve VA’s procurement systems, to modernize VA’s physical and software infrastructure. 

Questions of capacity are not limited to the Veterans Health Administration. As Ranking Member of the Technology Modernization Subcommittee, I am also deeply concerned that cuts to the VA Office of Information and Technology staffing and budget will disrupt VA’s IT modernization efforts. 

The VA is still operating with outdated technology to manage its medical equipment inventory. For example, the Automated Engineering Management System/Medical Equipment Reporting System (AEMS/MERS), a system built in the 1980s, is not able to support today’s interconnected, software-based technology.  

It seems tone-deaf to engage in conversations about innovative biomedical equipment when the foundations of the VA are crumbling: when the VA is threatening to cut 80,000 of the mission-driven staff who serve veterans each day. 

When Veterans Crisis Line operators say DOGE has made their jobs stressful to the point of tears, being forced to do more with less while they remain steadfast in their mission of serving veterans in crisis.

When VA clinical trials have been delayed or canceled because the staff who managed them were let go. 

When VA has canceled hundreds of contracts, including IT and management contracts, among others that will impact cancer care and VA’s ability to assess toxic exposure and disability ratings.

When President Trump’s latest executive order attempts to intimidate federal workers out of their unions and attacks collective bargaining rights, including for over 425,000 veterans across the government.

To our witnesses here today, I appreciate the work you all are doing to improve care for our veterans. I just wish the VA could have joined you. 

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