VA Healthcare: Calling It a 'Staffing Problem' While Supporting Workforce Cuts
Why this matters in a rural district
Bath VA Medical Center isn’t just a hospital — it is the healthcare lifeline for 33,000 veterans spread across seven counties in New York and Pennsylvania. For a veteran in Allegany County or Yates County, Bath is the closest VA facility for inpatient care, addiction treatment, and specialized services. When staff are cut at Bath, there is no nearby alternative. The next option is hours away.
Langworthy called VA problems a “staffing problem.” He then supported the initiative that cut VA staff.
Statement
Source: WGRZ Interview, August 22, 2024
Following removal of two top officials at Buffalo VA Medical Center over patient care delays, Langworthy stated:
“I am assured that this is not a budgetary problem. This is a staffing problem. This is an incompetence problem.”
When asked if politicians had made promises to veterans they couldn’t keep, Langworthy responded: “Oh, we can keep these promises.”
Important context on the March 2025 WGRZ quote: In a follow-up interview, Langworthy’s full statement was: “We would not do something that would put patients at risk. With the staffing levels that we have, look at the nonsense that we saw at the Buffalo VA last year with the highest staffing levels ever, an entire department just didn’t do their job.” This was an argument that high staffing had failed to prevent incompetence — specifically referencing the summer 2024 Buffalo VA scandal — to justify workforce reductions. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand countered in the same WGRZ coverage: “The Buffalo VA has had significant problems… more cuts is not going to solve problems in these VAs.”
A. The DOGE Connection: Supporting the Cuts
Langworthy isn’t a passive observer of VA workforce reductions. He is a founding member of the caucus driving them.
Langworthy’s Actions
- Member of the DOGE Caucus (Delivering Opportunities for Government Efficiency), listed on initial member announcement November 19, 2024. Co-chaired by Reps. Aaron Bean (FL), Pete Sessions (TX), and Blake Moore (UT).
- Told the Buffalo News (February 2025): “As a founding member of the House DOGE Caucus, I fully support Musk’s mission and I look forward to helping him achieve his goals.”
- Introduced H.R. 7256 — Federal Workforce Early Separation Incentives Act, making it easier for agencies to offer buyouts and early retirements
- Has characterized the federal workforce as needing to be “efficient, accountable, and appropriately sized”
In plain language: Langworthy didn’t just vote for something that reduced VA staff. He co-founded the caucus that drove the cuts, introduced legislation to accelerate federal workforce departures, and publicly endorsed the mission. This is active support, not passive compliance.
B. The Staffing Crisis: What’s Happening at Bath and Beyond
The VA’s own inspector general says staffing shortages worsened by 50% in one year — while the workforce was being cut.
VA Workforce Reductions (2025)
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA total staff | ~482,000 | ~454,000 | ~30,000 |
| Method | — | Hiring freezes, deferred resignations, attrition | — |
| First round (Feb 13) | — | 1,000+ non-bargaining-unit probationary employees | $98M claimed savings |
| Second round (Feb 24) | — | 1,400+ non-mission-critical employees | $83M claimed savings |
| Combined total | — | ~2,400 dismissed | $181M claimed annual savings |
Note: Federal judges ordered reinstatement of many dismissed employees on March 13, 2025. The original 83,000 reduction target came from an internal VA memo by Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek (March 4, 2025) directing a return to FY2019 staffing of 399,957. VA ultimately scaled back to ~30,000 reductions, primarily through attrition, shedding roughly 17,000 positions between January and June 2025.
VA Clinicians’ Warning: The Lincoln Declaration
In September-October 2025, approximately 170 current and former VA clinicians signed “The Lincoln Declaration: A Statement of Concern about the Future of Veterans’ Healthcare” (reported by CNN September 25, NPR October 1). By February 2026, signatories had grown to 501 (271 named, 184 anonymous). The letter, addressed to VA Secretary Doug Collins, warns of three risks:
- Workforce reductions without impact assessments
- Administrative authority expanding into clinical decisions
- Rapid growth of community care diverting resources from VHA
The declaration requested VA backfill 30,000 vacated positions — including 827 doctors, 2,300 nurses, 618 social workers, and 895 medical support assistants.
In plain language: 501 VA clinicians — the people who actually treat veterans — signed a public letter warning that the cuts are dangerous. They asked for 30,000 positions to be filled, including doctors, nurses, and social workers. Langworthy has not publicly responded to this declaration.
The Detox Warning
February 2025: VA Public Affairs Officer Lydia Delgado, MHA confirmed to WETM: “A small number of probationary staff have been dismissed. This decision will have no negative effect on Veteran health care.”
However, Nick Stefanovic, Director of Monroe County Veteran Services, told Spectrum News the cuts targeted critical positions: “It’s the primary facility that veterans use when they need detox from alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines… I fear that we are going to see the worst-case scenario, which could be veterans lose their lives because of it.”
In plain language: The VA says the cuts won’t affect care. The person who actually sends veterans to Bath for addiction treatment says lives are at risk. Bath is the primary detox facility for the region. If detox positions are cut, veterans in crisis have nowhere local to go.
C. The Data: Shortages Getting Worse, Not Better
OIG data shows staffing shortages increased 50% in one year — during the same period workforce reductions were being implemented.
OIG Report: Staffing Shortages Worsening
VA Office of Inspector General (August 2025):
| Finding | Data |
|---|---|
| Severe occupational staffing shortages | 4,434 across 139 VHA facilities |
| Change from FY2024 | +50% increase |
| Facilities with severe shortages | 139 of 139 (100%) |
| Medical officer shortages | 94% of facilities |
| Nursing shortages | 79% of facilities |
| Psychologist shortages | 57% of facilities |
Rising Demand: PACT Act Implementation
Simultaneously, demand for VA services is surging due to PACT Act implementation:
| Metric | FY2024 Data |
|---|---|
| New veterans added to disability compensation | 457,919 |
| Increase from prior year | +25% |
| PACT Act claims filed nationally | 2.44 million |
Rising PACT Act claims require more staff capacity, not less.
In plain language: The VA’s own inspector general found shortages at every single VA facility in the country — and they got 50% worse in one year. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of new veterans are enrolling because of the PACT Act. Cutting staff while demand surges is not efficiency — it’s a collision course.
Bath VA Medical Center: District Impact
Bath VA (Steuben County) is the primary VA healthcare facility for NY-23 veterans:
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Veterans served | 33,000+ across the system |
| Coverage area | 7 counties: Allegany, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Yates (NY); Tioga, Potter (PA) |
| Additional clinics | Elmira, Olean, and four other outpatient sites |
| Parent system | VA Finger Lakes Healthcare (also includes Canandaigua VAMC) |
| Confirmed services | Inpatient addiction/substance use, residential detox programs |
Staff reductions at a facility already facing shortages reduce appointment availability, extend wait times, and may force veterans to travel farther for care.
Steuben County, as the host community, also depends on Bath VA as a major employer.
The Buffalo VA Situation
What happened:
- Two top officials transferred out of Buffalo VA after 42+ patients experienced delayed care
- Delays included veterans waiting months for cancer treatment referrals
- One veteran died waiting for palliative care
- Another waited 9 weeks for radiation therapy
VA Office of Inspector General Report (September 2024):
- Confirmed leadership and management failures at Buffalo specifically
- Found systemic issues with community care referral processes
- Recommended nationwide review of VA community care practices
Langworthy’s characterization of Buffalo’s problems as “incompetence, not budget” is partially supported by the Inspector General’s findings for that specific facility. However, using one facility’s management failure to justify system-wide staffing cuts is a separate claim — one the OIG data does not support.
The Broader Context Langworthy Omitted
VA System-Wide Budget Crisis (July 2024):
- VA reported projected $15 billion shortfall for FY2025
- Shortfall attributed to:
- PACT Act implementation (toxic exposure benefits)
- 27% increase in veteran enrollment since 2019
- Rising healthcare costs
- Congress passed emergency $12 billion supplemental funding (September 2024)
Related: Social Security Office Closure
The Social Security office in Big Flats (Chemung County) was also listed on the DOGE website for lease non-renewal, affecting another federal service point in the district. See: Big Flats SSA/DOGE entry
Assessment
Langworthy describes VA problems as a “staffing problem” while actively supporting — as a founding DOGE Caucus member — the workforce reduction initiative that reduces VA staff.
The OIG data shows staffing shortages worsened by 50% in one year. Rising PACT Act claims require more staff capacity, not less. 501 VA clinicians signed a public letter warning that the cuts endanger patients.
These are not opposing interpretations of ambiguous data — they are documented trends moving in opposite directions from the policy Langworthy supports.
Verdict: CONTRADICTION — Calling it a “staffing problem” while co-founding the caucus that cuts staff, introducing legislation to accelerate departures, and publicly endorsing the mission that reduces VA workforce.
For a shorter summary of what DOGE means for veteran care in the Southern Tier, see: What DOGE Is Doing to Veteran Care in the Southern Tier
Sources
- WGRZ: “Langworthy visits Buffalo VA Medical Center, seeking answers” (August 22, 2024)
- WKBW: “Inspector General report finds leaders at Buffalo VA Hospital failed to address patient care concerns” (September 2024)
- MyTwinTiers (WETM): “VA facility in Bath hit by DOGE job cuts” (February 26, 2025, reporter Jim Turpin)
- WENY News: “Dept. of Veterans Affairs dismisses over 2,000 workers; Bath VA impacted”
- Spectrum News: Nick Stefanovic (Monroe County Veteran Services Director) on Bath detox impact
- VA News: Two rounds of dismissals (February 13 and 24, 2025)
- CNN (September 25, 2025) and NPR (October 1, 2025): Lincoln Declaration coverage
- Newsweek: “Map shows VA medical centers hit worst by severe staffing shortage”
- Fierce Healthcare: VA OIG staffing shortage report (August 2025)
- Langworthy press release: Federal Workforce Early Separation Incentives Act (H.R. 7256)
- Roll Call: “Massive veterans budget gap rips hole in appropriations process” (July 2024)
- VA Office of Inspector General: Buffalo VA Western New York Healthcare System Report (2024)
- Related: Big Flats SSA/DOGE
- Related: Steuben County: Ten Federal Funding Claims
Note: This entry documents publicly available information from official reports and news sources. Readers may draw their own conclusions.
Last updated: February 9, 2026