The Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a report that found the VA’s health system faces a severe staffing shortage of clinical and nonclinical workers.
The report found more than 4,400 staffing shortages in 2025, which is a 50 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. Twenty percent of Veterans Health Administration facilities reported they are short of staff in more than 40 occupations, the highest number of shortages for the agency in recent years. The IG’s report revealed shortages in staff at all 139 facilities.
According to VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz, the shortages are for occupations for which facilities find difficult to recruit and retain individuals. He continues to blame former President Joe Biden for increased VA wait time and backlogs and said that the situation is improving under President Donald Trump.
U.S. Mark R. Warner of Virginia responded to the severe staffing shortage at VA facilities by saying that the Trump Administration is creating policies which make it more difficult for public servants to perform their jobs and more difficult for veterans too obtain health care.
“Now the VA’s independent watchdog says that every single veterans health system nationwide is experiencing staffing shortages – and that severe shortages are up 50 percent from last year. We’re talking about nurses, medical officers, psychologists, and even police officers,” Warner said.
The recent jobs report also revealed that applications to work at the VA are decreasing rapidly.
“How do skyrocketing staffing shortages and declining applicant pools make it more ‘efficient’ for veterans to access the care and services they deserve? The answer is: they don’t. If the administration is serious about honoring our veterans, it needs to stop undermining the VA workforce and start recruiting and retaining the skilled professionals who care for our heroes,” Warner said.
The OIG’s survey was conducted between March 26 and mid-April and found that every veterans health system nationwide reported at least some degree of occupational staffing shortage. The most common shortage areas included medical officers, nurses, psychology roles and police officers.
Warner has long championed legislation and oversight to improve care and services for veterans. He has been a leading voice in strengthening suicide prevention efforts, including expanding access to mental health care. He has also fought to secure long-delayed approvals for VA medical facility leases across the country, including in Virginia, so that the VA can modernize its infrastructure and bring services closer to the communities veterans call home.
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Rebecca Barnabi
