Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A Veteran doesn’t have that problem.
— Ronald Reagan
Back in August, I wrote a Substack article about the then-recent move from the Trump Administration to cut the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by 30,000 employees. In that article, I talked about how the VA had been dramatically improving in recent years and the various problems that cutting the VA’s workforce would cause or make worse.
In a monkey’s paw turn of fate, it turns out my concerns for the VA’s crippled workforce lacking the capacity to help veterans have been addressed! No, VA Secretary Douglas Collins didn’t alleviate the staffing shortage, where literally every single VA facility in the country is understaffed. To this day, there still isn’t a primary care physician at my local VA hospital.
Instead, what Secretary Collins has decided is more cuts to the VA – this time cutting over 30,000 open positions, involving “mostly unfilled jobs including doctors, nurses and support staff.” With a stroke of pure logistical genius, Collins discovered that he doesn’t have to actually fix the VA. He just needs the spreadsheets to line up. No need to end the chronic staffing shortage nationwide, because you can’t have a staffing shortage if you’re not looking for staff!
Excuse my cynical sarcasm. I’m just wholly frustrated at yet another round of VA cuts for seemingly no reason. As I mentioned above and in my post from August, there isn’t a doctor who can see me at my VA. Just a few days ago, after calling to try and resolve a back issue (the kinds of issues you get when you’re 6’8” living in a camper), I also found out that their chiropractor had left (I don’t know what happened to the person, just that they had left in October).
Are those two positions that will be wiped out by this new round of VA cuts? Will there ever be a doctor at the VA in Hot Springs, South Dakota? Will the position just be cut from the balance sheet? These questions matter to me and they matter to South Dakotans, especially because my opponent, Senator Mike Rounds, has been bandying about his achievements for the VA over the past month. He claimed to have secured funding with the end of the government shutdown, and just last week, he bragged about a VA bill that will “…eliminate[s] this red tape and speed[s] up service for veterans…”
Two independent polls show that when voters hear my background, I lead Mike Rounds 42 to 39. I need your help to widen that gap leading up to the 2026 election. A contribution today will help me reach South Dakotans, while showing Mike Rounds that he can’t take his seat for granted. Thank you for your support.
When the plan was to cut 80,000 people from the VA’s workforce, all Mike Rounds could do was “monitor the situation” and “share concerns.” When those cuts were lowered to “only” 30,000 people, Mike Rounds didn’t say anything, not even his typical empty platitudes. Now that tens of thousands of open positions are being cut, I’m not expecting much. His job is to represent South Dakotans and the things they care about. Yet time after time, he only prioritizes the party line.
It’s difficult to approach these issues with candor, but let’s be clear and honest with the words we use. “Worse care for veterans” means veterans will die. Veterans will die for preventable reasons, because their VA care facilities won’t be allowed to hire for their missing positions. VA spokesman Pete Kasperowicz was quoted saying “No VA employees are being removed, and this will have zero impact on Veteran care.”
No impact? That simply isn’t true.
The lack of VA healthcare professionals working around the country is a problem Secretary Collins has done nothing to solve. Now, he is simply erasing the evidence that there even is a problem at all. With understaffing and empty positions, it’s at least possible to see where the gaps are and where solutions need to aim. When he cuts 30,000 positions, those gaps become invisible, and the solutions impossible.
Is it so much to ask that our elected representatives and government officials do their job? Apparently so. Secretary Collins continues to screw over veterans, and Mike Rounds remains utterly silent about the screwing.
This is unacceptable. I got into this Senate race in South Dakota because of reckless cuts to federal budgets and staffing. I’m opposed to gutting the VA with the same fervor. Just a week after it was revealed that Kristi Noem’s DHS had deported a decorated combat veteran, it is absolutely paramount for this country to protect veterans and their families.
I stand reaffirmed in my commitment to defend veterans’ access to quality healthcare, in addition to other services the VA provides. If elected as South Dakota’s Independent Senator, I will ensure that federal policy reflects the needs and dignity of those who served this country.
Thank you for reading.
Brian L. Bengs, Lt Col (Ret)
Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate
The fundraising deadline for this quarter is coming up soon, as the year ends. Almost half of South Dakotans polled said that it’s time to send my opponent Mike Rounds home. I need your help to finish this year strong. Consider contributing to my Independent campaign to help me show Mike Rounds that people matter more than parties. Thank you.
As a retired long-term employee of VA, privatizing VA health care costs loads more. You're adding in a middle-man profit to the equation. Sure, some specialists in the community must be tagged, but primary care and chiropractic care should always be able to be provided in-house. And, the VA Hot Springs healthcare system has been a red-headed step child since the 1990's. Rounds and Thune don't really care and understand less what rural Veterans have to go through to access care in their communities. We need to elect more Veterans to Congress, and I pray you are successful in your bid. During my time in South Dakota in the 1980s and 1990s, we were lucky to have Tom Daschle and Tim Johnson in Congress. Now South Dakota only has losers.
While getting my car serviced, I overheard a conversation between a 30-something man explaining his pain level to an 80-something gentleman. Apparently the younger man had served in the military and was tasked with overseeing the burn pits (my non-military background leaves my vocabulary a bit stunted). The toxic fumes from those pits are now wreaking havoc in his body and leaving him in a lot of pain. While he’s waiting for the VA to make some determination on coverage, I suggested that he call Idaho Senators Risch and Crapo to get their assistance to ensure he gets what our country promised him and so many others.
Now, after reading this article, I don’t have a lot of confidence that there will be someone to help this guy.