SECVA Doug Collins Just Emailed Veterans

It's about as full of shit as you'd expect

If you didn’t know already, I’m a former federal civil servant, and a disabled Veteran. A long time ago, I signed up to receive emails from the Department of Veterans Affairs so I could stay informed about all the amazing programs VA has to help those of us who served. Last night, this pile of bullshit landed in my inbox. It’s a message from Doug Collins - Trump’s Secretary of Veterans Affairs. I’ll translate as we go along in case you don’t speak asshole.

It is my life’s honor to serve America’s Veterans as secretary of Veterans Affairs, and I thank President Donald J. Trump as well as the U.S. Senate for their confidence in me.

A vote of 77 in the senate doesn’t inspire confidence, and the only confidence Trump has in you is that you’re so incompetent that you’ll run VA into the ground so he has an opportunity to privatize it.

When President Trump offered me this job, he gave me simple instructions: take great care of America’s Veterans. Here is how we’re going to accomplish the task the president has set out for us:

Yes, I’m sure Donald told you to take great care of Veterans. It was probably more like “I don’t understand why anyone would join the military. What a bunch of suckers. Keep those amputees away from me.”

• We’re going to deliver timely access to care and benefits for every eligible Veteran, family member, caregiver and survivor.

Notice the word “eligible”. What Doug means here is “We’re going to severely limit who is eligible for benefits and take away health care for most of you.”

• We’re going to put Veterans at the center of everything VA does, focusing relentlessly on customer service and convenience.

First of all, the VA has been practicing patient-centered care for a long time - but the part that concerns me here is “customer service and convenience.” That’s what private businesses do. VA focus should be on health outcomes and wellness.

• We’re going to challenge the status quo in order to find new and better ways of helping VA beneficiaries.

This straight up means privatization. They’re going to close clinics and send veterans to their private doctor friends through United Healthcare, Triwest, Healthnet, and the like. This will cost taxpayers more money, cause longer wait times (they’re throwing 10 million new people into the already crowded and shitty private health system), and this will cost lives - veteran and civilian. All in the name of making themselves and their rich corporate health CEO buddies richer. Then all the money they save on VA clinics and benefits will go towards tax cuts for themselves.

• We’re going to celebrate the vast majority of VA employees who do a great job every day and hold employees accountable when they fall short of the mission.

What Doug is saying here is that he’s going to fire people who don’t pledge loyalty to Trump. Ask me how I know. Donald hates that civil servants are entitled to due process and protection not afforded at-will private employees. So he intends to move the majority of career civil servants to political appointed positions so he can dismiss them without recourse.

• We’re going to provide Veterans with the health care choices they have earned while maintaining and improving VA’s direct health care capabilities.

“Choice” means privatization. Same as “school choice”. I do not believe Doug when he says he will maintain and improve direct care, and I’ll be surprised if he does.

• And we’re going to do a better job reaching Veterans at risk of homelessness or suicide – especially those who have had no contact with VA

That’s virtually impossible to do now since veteran homelessness grants are frozen, you’ve called remote workers to return to the office under threat of dismissal and most of the Veteran crisis line workers are remote, and you’ve scrapped all programs and research on how to reach marginalized veterans under your bullshit DEI purge - but sure. We believe you, Doug.

My commitment to my fellow servicemembers and Veterans will serve as my compass for the way ahead, and I am honored to be working with the men and women of VA to accomplish our noble and vital mission.

Together, we will strengthen VA so it works better for America’s heroes. Let’s get to work.

Not every veteran or VA employee (30% of which are Veterans) identifies as a man or a woman, so Doug doesn’t think that every person who served or who serves veterans counts. Only cisgender heterosexual white binary people who put on the uniform are part of Doug’s “noble” mission.

I’m sorry to all the veterans who had to read this garbage in their inbox this morning. If it means anything, I want you to know that *I* see you even if our new Secretary doesn’t, and that your service matters: not only veterans who served, but the incredible federal workers at VA who are committed to serving our veterans.

~AG

Photo: Allison Gill/MSW Media