During Tuesday's confirmation hearing, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) questioned President Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, former Representative Doug Collins (R-GA).
The questioning began with Arizona's Be Connected, a suicide prevention program that is part of the Arizona Coalition for Military Families.
Sen. Gallego noted, "It receives one-third of its funding from the State of Arizona and two-thirds from [Veterans Affairs] and renews this contract with the Phoenix VA annually."
Unfortunately, the Phoenix branch of the VA "recently said that it no longer intends to enter into another contract with the Be Connected program and will stop funding on March 31st due to budget constraints," prompting the Arizona Senator to ask if Collins will work to find alternative sources of funding for the system.
Collins affirmed that he would, saying veteran suicide and homelessness prevention programs "are the kind of programs I think are priorities," citing his personal military experience as an Air Force chaplain.
"So budget items will match up to the priorities of what I want to have, and that is what I look forward to working with you and look forward to getting more information on that issue," Collins continued.
Gallego then shifted the conversation to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), noting that veteran homelessness increased by 7.4% from 2022 to 2023, asking, "If confirmed, what would you do to support HUD-VASH programs and increase collaboration between the VA and HUD?"
Collins replied, "That is something that I think is very important because we look at the areas for disability, we look at the VASH, we ask if this is actually enough to provide people the resources to have a home," adding that he will "look at this issue of homelessness not just as a VA issue" and will "look across the spectrum with HUD and with any other department that we can to make sure that this is something that is not the dark spot on a veteran's service."
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