Veterans Affairs and Government Shutdown: The US federal government shutdown has now gone into its fourteenth day. Many departments are short-staffed and working at limited capacity, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA provides healthcare, benefits, and memorial services for millions of former service members. The shutdown has forced furloughs for about 15,000 of the VA’s 460,000 employees. This has slowed down several administrative programs and veteran support services.
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VA Secretary Doug Collins said, “Good news is we operate off of an advanced appropriation. Which means our hospitals, our clinics, disability benefits, those kinds of things are already pre-funded.” This advanced funding has helped protect critical services from stopping completely. Despite that, many outreach programs, burial support, and administrative activities have paused, leaving some veterans without help for non-emergency needs.
In an October 7 letter, House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee members Mark Takano (D-CA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) accused the VA of “weaponizing” the funding lapse by halting congressional correspondence. Collins later responded to The Hill, calling Democratic criticism “one of the biggest displays of hypocrisy in recent history.”
Services That will Remain Open
Even with furloughs most imp VA services continue normally. All VA Medical Centers, Outpatient Clinics, and Vet Centers remain open, giving healthcare and mental health support to veterans across the country. The Veterans Crisis Line (Dial 988, Press 1) and the main VA call center (1-800-MyVA411) are available 24 hours a day. Veterans will still receive compensation, pension, education and housing benefits on schedule. The Board of Veterans’ Appeals is still issuing decisions for claims.
Burial stuff in national cemeteries still happens, like applying for headstones and markers, but some extra grounds work is slower. Programs for homeless vets and suicide help and caregiver support keep running because money is already approved.
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Services That are Closed or Suspended
While healthcare and benefits still work, many admin and outreach programs are stopped. Help for transitioning, career counseling, and veteran jobs is paused until funding comes back. VA regional offices and the GI Bill Hotline (1-888-GIBILL-1) are closed so student veterans may not get educational support.
Public Affairs social media posts, cemetery grounds work, and printing new Presidential Memorial Certificates are also stopped. Pre-need burial applications aren’t being processed and communication with state, county, and tribal partners is limited.
