Deluzio demands answers on VA town hall cancellations

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio is investigating whether the Trump administration axed a regional town hall tour for veterans to obscure the impact of staff cuts on their health care.

In a letter sent Thursday to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, Deluzio demanded answers as to who called off the events and why.

“My fellow veterans and I already know that firing VA staff has a real impact on veterans care, and we demand transparency,” Deluzio, a Fox Chapel Democrat, said in the letter. Deluzio, a Navy officer, served in the Iraq War.

The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System planned to hold five events in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio where veterans could interact with top officials and learn about medical resources at their disposal.

The tour was cancelled without explanation July 24 after just one stop, in Washington County, baffling those at local veterans groups who helped organize them.

After the town hall, Pittsburgh VA Director Donald Koenig told TribLive the system is set to lose 174 workers this year, or about 3% of its workforce. Most of the employees who left or will soon leave are support staff, rather than clinicians.

Nationwide, the Department of Veterans Affairs is on pace to lose nearly 30,000 employees by October through ordinary attrition, early retirement and other means.

Deluzio also asked what is being done to address a shortage of van drivers to shuttle veterans to and from appointments as well as medical professionals seeing a higher administrative workload.

Deluzio gave an Aug. 8 deadline for Collins to reply.

Neither the Department of Veterans Affairs nor the Pittsburgh VA immediately returned requests for comment.

Correction: This story has been updated to say the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System is set to lose 174 workers this year. An earlier version gave the wrong number.