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“Hearing to Consider Pending Nominations”

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

July 23, 2025 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked):

• John Bartrum: Nominee to be Under Secretary for Health

• Jeremiah Workman: Nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training

Keywords mentioned:

• Community care, healthcare access, workforce reductions, veteran employment, transition assistance, mental health, clinical trials, VA contracts, veteran suicide, rural healthcare, VA staffing, veteran benefits

IN THEIR WORDS

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Jerry Moran stated that the hearing would consider two critical nominations: Mr. John Bartrum for Under Secretary for Health at the VA and Mr. Jeremiah Workman for Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training at the Department of Labor (DOL). He said that ensuring timely, high-quality health care and gainful employment for veterans are top priorities for the Committee and the nation. He noted that while progress has been made, many veterans still struggle to access their earned benefits. The Chairman expressed gratitude to both nominees and their families for their willingness to serve.

• Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal thanked the nominees for their service and declared that the hearing would examine their qualifications and the broader issues facing the VA and DOL. He highlighted recent reports detailing severe workforce reductions at the VA, including the loss of thousands of registered nurses, doctors, and claims examiners, which he said contradicts the VA's claim of cost savings. The Ranking Member directly challenged Mr. Bartrum to explain his role in these decisions as a senior advisor to the Secretary. He also underlined that veteran unemployment had risen significantly and argued that employment is crucial to veterans’ mental health, reinforcing the importance of Mr. Workman’s role.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

• Mr. John Bartrum expressed his gratitude for the nomination and shared his personal journey from a fatherless teen to a Major General in the Air Force Reserve. He described his extensive background in health care leadership, including managing a $6.1 billion system and helping design the COVID-19 Operation Warp Speed initiative. Mr. Bartrum outlined his previous service in VA and federal budget roles and affirmed his commitment to improving health care access, patient safety, research, and emergency response at the VA. He pledged to uphold the VA’s obligation to provide veterans with excellence in care.

• Sen. Tim Sheehy introduced Mr. Workman, praising his heroism in combat and his post-service dedication to empowering veterans through employment. He described his valor in Fallujah, for which he earned the Navy Cross, and emphasized his work to reframe how the nation views veterans: not as victims, but as assets. Sen. Sheehy stated that Mr. Workman’s leadership reflects the values of service, mission, and common sense. He said that America is fortunate to have him in a position of leadership.

• Mr. Jeremiah Workman thanked his family and expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training. He shared his background as a Marine combat veteran and described the life-altering experiences he faced during Operation Phantom Fury in Iraq. Since leaving active duty, he has dedicated his career to ensuring veterans do not fall through the cracks, focusing on empowerment and opportunity. If confirmed, he pledged to lead with urgency, compassion, and accountability, centering all decisions on what best serves the veteran.

• Chairman Moran asked Mr. Bartrum whether he believed veterans should be able to choose between VA direct care and community care under the eligibility criteria established in the MISSION Act. Mr. Bartrum agreed, stating that veterans should have the choice and that the current process is too bureaucratic. He spoke on the importance of implementing policies based on common sense, where referrals should be made when the veteran and their doctor agree that care is needed. He explained that balancing direct and community care is about ensuring veterans have access without unnecessary hurdles.

• The Chairman then asked Mr. Bartrum about his workforce strategy, noting recent swings in VA staffing. Mr. Bartrum said that he would work with VA leadership and Congress to establish staffing models using “manning documents” to normalize staffing levels. He noted that although hiring increased during the Biden administration, wait times for care also rose, indicating that metrics like access and patient throughput would guide his workforce decisions.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal asked Mr. Bartrum if he was involved in the decision to fire 83,000 VA employees or reduce that number to 30,000. Mr. Bartrum denied involvement in those decisions and stated that he was not engaged in HR determinations.

• The Ranking Member expressed alarm over the loss of thousands of medical personnel and suggested this was not “business as usual.” Mr. Bartrum responded that large systems experience natural turnover and pointed to ongoing improvements in scheduling efficiency to expand access.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal pressed further on Mr. Bartrum’s involvement in contract cancellations. Mr. Bartrum admitted that he had participated in contract reviews but could not provide a number of contracts canceled, promising to follow up. When asked about wait times for community care, he acknowledged having some data but was unable to provide it during the hearing, prompting criticism from the Ranking Member over the lack of transparency.

• Sen. Tommy Tuberville asked Mr. Bartrum how he would use technology to improve care for rural veterans. Mr. Bartrum said that rural outreach would be a focus and that he would work with veterans service organizations (VSOs) and community care partners to improve communication and access strategies.

• Sen. Tuberville asked Mr. Workman how he would ensure veterans are placed in long-term, quality jobs. Mr. Workman replied that the focus must begin before separation, during the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), and continue through support at American Job Centers. He underscored ensuring that those staff are well-trained to support veterans and their families.

• Sen. Tuberville then asked Mr. Bartrum for his opinion on the VA’s May 2025 policy change expanding community care access. Mr. Bartrum supported the change and believed it should have been implemented years earlier.

• Sen. Tuberville turned to Mr. Workman, asking how he would improve interagency coordination. Mr. Workman acknowledged the silos between the Department of Defense (DOD), VA, and DOL, and committed to ensuring DOL VETS has a seat at the table to improve outcomes.

• Sen. Tuberville also asked Mr. Bartrum for his thoughts on interagency data sharing. Mr. Bartrum agreed that improvements were needed and expressed interest in reenergizing data-sharing agreements and improving internal VA data coordination.

• Sen. Angus King criticized the VA for what he described as haphazard decision-making regarding contract cancellations and staffing reductions. He expressed disbelief that canceling $13 billion in contracts would not affect veteran care. Mr. Bartrum responded that some cancellations were part of consolidation efforts and regional contract restructuring, and he supported building staffing models before determining cuts.

• Sen. King praised Mr. Workman’s focus on transition and said he supported initiatives like early VA enrollment and data sharing with state veterans agencies. Mr. Workman agreed and shared that he looked forward to working with Sen. King on those proposals.

• Sen. Sheehy defended the administration’s reforms, arguing that despite a 70% increase in the VA budget and major hiring efforts, outcomes like veteran suicide and wait times had worsened. He blamed systemic obstruction within the VA for blocking access to community care and said that change was needed. He expressed support for Secretary Doug Collins’ direction, even if imperfect.

• Sen. Sheehy then asked Mr. Workman how he would improve TAP. Mr. Workman said that TAP should begin earlier, with more accountability from commanders. He claimed he would evaluate the program top-to-bottom in coordination with the DOD and VA to ensure veterans find meaningful employment.

• Sen. Maggie Hassan began by asking both nominees if they would follow the law or a directive from the President if the two were in conflict. Both Mr. Bartrum and Mr. Workman affirmed they would follow the law.

• Sen. Hassan asked Mr. Workman to speak about supporting Gold Star families, referencing a bipartisan bill she is working on with Sen. Bill Cassidy. Mr. Workman responded that supporting military families was a personal priority and committed to working with her on the legislation. He understood the importance of recognizing the sacrifices of spouses like his own.

• Sen. Hassan also asked Mr. Bartrum how he would support New Hampshire’s effort to secure a full-service VA Medical Center under a recent executive order. Mr. Bartrum committed to engaging with the state and noted that initial site surveys had already begun, promising to work collaboratively on future planning.

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked Mr. Bartrum to clarify his earlier comments about “balancing” direct and community care, claiming that veterans should be the ones deciding where they receive care. Mr. Bartrum responded that he agreed veterans should have that choice and stated the current bureaucracy made community care difficult to access. He explained that if confirmed, he would work to reduce red tape and ensure veterans can access care efficiently, whether through the VA or the community. Sen. Blackburn stressed that Tennessee veterans overwhelmingly prefer community care and warned Mr. Bartrum not to “go soft” on this issue.

• Sen. Mazie Hirono asked both nominees whether they had ever committed or been disciplined for sexual harassment; both Mr. Bartrum and Mr. Workman answered no to both questions.

• Sen. Hirono then questioned Mr. Bartrum about his prior leadership of BrightStar Innovations Group, a company that was recently awarded a VA contract. Mr. Bartrum confirmed that he had no financial ties to the company and denied any involvement in the awarding of the contract.

• Sen. Hirono asked Mr. Bartrum whether he could assure that no cuts would be made to staffing or funding for the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). Mr. Bartrum responded yes, stating he was committed to supporting the VCL.

• Sen. Hirono also asked about clinical trials and whether they had been paused. Mr. Bartrum’s understanding was that no trials had been paused and that relevant staff had been exempted from the hiring freeze. He promised to follow up with data on the number of veterans participating in clinical trials.

• Sen. Thom Tillis told Mr. Bartrum that concerns about “privatizing” the VA were unfounded and expressed confidence in his responses. He also praised Mr. Workman’s background and said it made sense for someone with his name and record to be nominated for DOL.

• Sen. Tillis criticized the long-standing failure to reform the TAP and asked Mr. Workman whether any metrics exist to evaluate its effectiveness. Mr. Workman said that he did not know but pledged that, if confirmed, he would examine the program’s efficacy and ensure it met the needs of transitioning service members.

• Sen. Tillis asked Mr. Workman to meet with him in the future to discuss organizational leadership needs at DOL VETS. Mr. Workman agreed and committed to that conversation.

• Chairman Moran discussed the importance of solving both individual and systemic issues at the VA and noted that sometimes policy changes were not communicated to staff on the ground. Mr. Bartrum committed to working with the Chairman to ensure both individual veterans and broader groups benefit from improvements, and to increase internal communication and awareness of policy changes.

• The Chairman then asked Mr. Bartrum to ensure the VA promptly delivers information to the Congressional Budget Office regarding section 103 of the ACCESS Act, which is needed for scoring. Mr. Bartrum agreed to take the request back to the VA and follow up.

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