Nurses rally nationwide demanding support for fully staffed VA system

Nurses Demand Congressional Support for Veterans Health Administration

On Friday, Sept. 12, nurses across the nation will gather at district offices of U.S. senators and representatives. Their aim is to urge these lawmakers to commit to a pledge supporting a fully staffed Veterans Health Administration (VA) and to reinstate collective bargaining rights for VA nurses and staff, according to a statement from the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United. This action comes in response to the latest Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, which revealed a 50 percent rise in severe staffing shortages at the VA over the past year.

The rallies will focus on specific U.S. politicians, including Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50), Sen. John Hickenlooper (Colo.), Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Sen. Ted Budd (N.C.), and Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10).

“We are challenging our elected representatives to stand up to the Trump administration’s efforts to privatize the VA,” stated Irma Westmoreland, RN at Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Ga. and the director of NNU’s VA division. “We know the billionaires who run health care corporations are salivating at the opportunity to funnel taxpayer money away from the VA and into private sector care. But we know the VA provides world-class veteran-centric care that cannot be found in the private sector. Now is the time when our elected leaders must let us know: Do you stand with us as we fight for our veterans, or are you against us?”

What: Nurses rally for a fully staffed VA
When: Friday, Sept. 12
Where: See here for list of locations and local times

The OIG report noted that 79 percent of VA facilities face “severe shortages” of nursing staff despite there being no overall nurse shortage in the United States, with over 1 million registered nurses holding active licenses but not working as nurses.

In conjunction with this report, VA Secretary Doug Collins has announced plans to cut 30,000 staffers from the VA by the end of September. VA nurses previously held a congressional briefing on May 20 to discuss the detrimental effects of these staffing cuts on veterans’ healthcare.

Nurses are calling on members of Congress to sign a pledge to:

• Restore collective bargaining rights for VA nurses and federal employees to give workers the tools they need to protect patient care.
• Fight against a future reduction in force (RIF) or hiring freeze at the VA so that the VA can restore its facilities to safe staffing levels.
• End the cycle of funneling money from the VA and into the private sector in the next appropriations process.

Nurses are deeply concerned that the proposed FY 2026 VA Appropriations bill, H.R. 3944, takes $15.9 billion away from VA medical services while proposing an additional $14.5 billion to private-sector care. Nurses fear these funding changes will undermine the VA’s capacity to deliver high-quality care, potentially leading to further privatization of veteran services.

The VA’s “Red Team” Executive Roundtable analysis from March 2024 highlights that increased spending on private-sector care, which reached $30 billion in fiscal year 2023, poses a significant threat to the VA’s direct-care system. It cautions that such spending might inadvertently eliminate choices for veterans who prefer VA direct care for their medical needs.

“Nurses are determined to use our voices to fight for our veterans and the VA,” said Sharda Fornnarino, RN at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA in Aurora, Colo., and local director of NNOC/NNU. “But right now, we are feeling the brunt of this vindictive administration, which voided our collective bargaining contract in an effort to silence our advocacy. We know our voices are necessary at the bedside and in the halls of power. We demand the restoration of our union contract.

“Rest assured, we will not be silent,” continued Fornnarino, RN. “We will not be intimidated. Our union is much more than a contract. Our union is us, the nurses standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity as we demand full staffing for the VA so every veteran can get the outstanding care we are determined to provide them.”