Montana congressional delegation tells VA to not cut frontline jobs

Montana’s congressional delegation has sent letters calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to not cut 10,000 frontline care providers, saying such a move would hurt health care and mental care services to veterans in Montana.

They said the VA had said earlier that such positions would be protected from job cuts.

CNN reported June 10 the VA has eliminated the frontline jobs even though agency leaders had said otherwise. Psychologists, clinical social workers and other positions have been cut, and some job offers have been rescinded recently as the agency seeks to address a budgetary shortfall and shave its workforce by 10,000 positions.

VA officials did not immediately offer comment Monday. 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester wrote in a letter dated June 17 to VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal that such a decision to reduce staffing “will hit hardest in rural areas like Montana and call on you and the Department to reverse them.”

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