OPINION:
The Department of Veterans Affairs is at a crossroads.
For too long, taxpayer dollars have been funneled into a system plagued by inefficiency, misallocation and a stubborn refusal to prioritize the people it serves: our nation’s veterans. Despite concerns, the involvement of the Department of Government Efficiency and Doug Collins signals a desperately needed refocus on veterans over bureaucracy and wastefulness. This is exactly what the VA needs: bold leadership willing to claw back squandered funds, redirect resources to what works and put America’s veterans first.
Data from the VA’s building portfolio reveals a staggering disconnect as tens of millions of taxpayer dollars are spent annually on rent for buildings that sit primarily empty, staffed by a workforce that often doesn’t even show up despite shocking health care backlogs. This isn’t a minor oversight; it’s a symptom of a department that’s lost its way. While veterans wait for care, funds are poured into low- or no-return investments that do nothing to improve veterans’ lives.
DOGE’s approach promises to change that. Its focus is clear: Cut the waste and reallocate money to programs and services that substantively treat patients, enhance their quality of life and fulfill the VA’s core mission for veteran welfare.
Meanwhile, Mr. Collins brings the heart and boots-on-the-ground experience this VA overhaul demands. He is a chaplain who has faced the VA’s failures firsthand, not a detached bureaucrat. Having counseled veterans and battled the system’s flaws, Mr. Collins knows what’s broken and how to fix it. Who better to steer the VA than someone with skin in the game, shaped by the struggles of those he has served?
Leadership alone isn’t enough. The VA’s problems run deeper than misspent funds; they’re structural. Private companies have consistently proved they can serve veterans’ needs more efficiently and effectively than the government’s sprawling bureaucracy. For example, when claim adjudication was offloaded to a third party during the first Trump administration, the entire health care process ran smoother and faster. Community Care, also a hallmark of that era, empowered veterans to seek treatment outside the VA’s clogged pipelines, delivering better outcomes with less red tape.
Compare that with the recent reality. More than 400,000 veterans and their loved ones languished on backlogged waitlists while the VA diverted resources to cover health care for illegal immigrants. That’s not just inefficiency; it’s a betrayal of priorities.
This is where privatization enters the conversation, as Vice President J.D. Vance suggested during his campaign. In addition to outperforming dysfunctional government departments, they are far more accountable. Unlike the federal “pay and pray” approach — dumping billions of dollars into unaccountable programs and hoping for the best — private entities maintain rigorous record-keeping and auditing standards to justify expenditures, maximize efficiency, minimize waste and prioritize productivity. Bringing back Community Care and leaning into private-sector expertise isn’t abandoning the VA; it’s making it work for veterans instead of against them.
I’ve seen the possibilities firsthand. A few years ago, I founded a company to fill the gaps left by a VA so broken that veterans were calling us in droves, desperate for help. Why? Because the VA’s suicide hotline had wait times so long, it wasn’t even worth dialing. As veteran suicides hit historic highs, we fielded those lifesaving calls because the system meant to protect them couldn’t. It’s a stark reminder of what’s at stake when irresponsibility and activist agendas strain an already fragile system, dragging down the quality of care.
That’s why DOGE and Mr. Collins are what the VA needs. They’re not here to prop up a failing status quo. They’re here to claw back a much-needed service for America’s selfless veterans. This isn’t about optics or ideology; it’s about results. It’s about an “America First” ethos that says our veterans deserve health care that works, not a bloated bureaucracy that prioritizes empty buildings or migrant treatment over their needs. It’s about quality over politics, service over agendas.
The VA can’t afford another decade of drift, and neither can veterans. With DOGE’s resource-savvy vision and Mr. Collins’ veteran-centered leadership, there’s a real chance to turn it around and save money and lives. Our veterans and our nation deserve nothing less.
• Kate Monroe is a veteran, author of “Race to Save America,” CEO of VetComm and founder of Border Vets.
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