{"id":379583,"date":"2025-02-20T20:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=379583"},"modified":"2025-02-20T22:20:01","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T22:20:01","slug":"va-secretary-doug-collins-addresses-veterans-benefits-rumors-in-latest-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=379583","title":{"rendered":"VA Secretary Doug Collins addresses Veterans benefits rumors in latest video"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>VA Secretary Doug Collins released a video from his office today addressing misinformation circulating about Veterans\u2019 benefits and VA health care. In a direct and candid message, Collins refuted several rumors he described as \u201cwhoppers.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image hd-bcve-wrapper hd-bcve-wrapper-js is--youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" data-id=\"5LTVcT28rlE\">\n\t\t<button class=\"play-button\" aria-label=\"Play video\"><\/button><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-shortcode\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"VA Secretary Doug Collins addresses Veterans benefits rumors\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5LTVcT28rlE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Collins began by reaffirming VA\u2019s commitment to prioritizing Veterans.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re putting Veterans number one back at the VA,\u201d he said. He acknowledged that changes can generate friction, but emphasized that these reforms are aimed at strengthening VA services for Veterans.<\/p>\n<p>Among the rumors he challenged was the claim that VA health care would suffer. Collins categorically denied this, stating\u00a0that the department has reinforced health care and benefits by safeguarding 300,000 mission-critical positions to ensure uninterrupted services.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Another rumor he addressed was that Veterans\u2019 benefits were being cut.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re not,\u201d he said, explaining that VA had redirected nearly $98 million toward Veterans\u2019 care and services rather than reducing them.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, Collins addressed the rumor that VA was laying off Veterans Crisis Line responders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe did not lay off any Veteran Crisis Line responders,\u201d he stated firmly, assuring that those answering crisis calls remain in place to support Veterans in need.<\/p>\n<p>Collins concluded by urging Veterans to seek information directly from VA rather than relying on misinformation circulating in political discourse. \u201cWhen you want the truth, come to me, not the Whopper line up on Capitol Hill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Veterans are encouraged to visit news.va.gov or contact their local VA offices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VA Secretary Doug Collins released a video from his office today addressing misinformation circulating about Veterans\u2019 benefits and VA health care. In a direct and candid message, Collins refuted several rumors he described as \u201cwhoppers.\u201d Collins began by reaffirming VA\u2019s commitment to prioritizing Veterans.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re putting Veterans number one back at the VA,\u201d he said. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":379585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1465,328,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-379583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rumors","category-secretarys-blog","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=379583"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":379586,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379583\/revisions\/379586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/379585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=379583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=379583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=379583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}