Mission Roll Call Surveys Show Continued Support for Community Care
Not long after the new administration was sworn in earlier this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began making significant cuts to both personnel and spending. Driven in large part by the administration’s goal of reducing federal spending, and in concert with the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts elsewhere in government, the VA laid off 2400 workers in positions deemed non-mission critical and proposed cutting up to $2 billion in spending on duplicative and unnecessary contracts.
Veterans and advocacy groups expressed concern, as these cuts were announced without a corresponding information campaign to explain the overall goal. Of specific concern was a gap in understanding how the VA intended to continue to deliver the health care and benefits so many veterans rely on day to day with fewer personnel.
Here at Mission Roll Call, we are of two minds on this topic. On the one hand, we recognize the importance of a VA that is funded and staffed to meet the requirements of the modern veteran population. On the other hand, there is a larger fiscal consideration at play as evidenced by the nation’s growing debt and deficit problem.
One of our stocks in trade is gathering information directly from veterans through polling and communicating the results to decision-makers across government and non-profits to better inform these discussions. We believe that our personal beliefs are immaterial relative to overall wishes of veterans, and we endeavor to inform our positions through polling and direct engagement with the veteran community. In March, and with the cooperation of a long list of our partners in the VSO space, Mission Roll Call commissioned the 2025 VA Cuts & Services Survey. Our goal was to step beyond our own assumptions and gather ground truth from the veteran population, so we in turn can amplify those voices and contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding this topic.
To date, we have nearly 2,000 responses from all 50 states, and 95% of respondents are either a veteran or a family member of a veteran. Here, we share the results and include some analysis and commentary based on discussions we have held with veterans, the VA, Congress, and other VSO’s on these subjects.
64% of respondents are concerned or strongly concerned that recent or upcoming job cuts at the VA will impact care or services received from the VA.
This response was not surprising in and of itself, and we applaud VA Secretary Collins’ numerous public efforts communicating to the veteran community the intent and thought processes behind these cuts. These efforts include Secretary Collins’ appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show in early April, as well as numerous videos and interviews available across the web.
Owing to the politically charged atmosphere in Washington, one must consider how much of the concern noted in this survey question are a direct result of the messaging in the partisan back-and-forth surrounding DOGE and other administration efforts. Far from throwing oil on tempestuous seas, this discourse is making it difficult for veterans to understand the true intent and impact of these measures.
55% of Respondents Do Not Support Cuts at the VA
As with the prior question, this response was not surprising given the lack of information that preceded the introduction of cuts. In the comment section of our survey, many veterans expressed concerns that these cuts would directly impact their access to care and benefits. Secretary Collins has repeatedly sought to bring clarity to this effort and counter these claims, noting that the VA is seeking efficiency in delivering services and that no veteran should see any reduction or loss of efficacy in receiving care and benefits.
Combined, these results are also reflected within the general level of stress veterans are experiencing surrounding these cuts:
Based on our review of the data, the impact on veterans’ well-being is similarly tied to the unknown, whether that be a concern that the quality and timeliness of access to benefits and services will be negatively impacted or a general sentiment that there isn’t enough information being shared to understand the impact and approach behind these cuts. Mission Roll Call intends to re-run these survey questions over the upcoming months to capture the pulse of veterans and determine whether the VA’s efforts at communicating the intent and goals of these cuts is achieving the desired impact within the veteran community.
Our survey also included questions of relevance to the veteran community as a new administration takes over in Washington.
66% of Respondents Support Greater Community Care Options
Community Care is a lightning rod issue in Washington, falling along partisan lines. On the one hand, many veterans struggle to access VA care for various reasons, from lack of a specialist in their local area, to excessive travel times, to lengthy wait times. Generally speaking, community care efforts are intended to empower the veteran to be their own best advocate in what care makes the most sense for them.
On the other hand, a formidable group of lawmakers and some VSO’s are concerned that community care is akin to privatizing the VA, and risks removing the VA’s oversight role in delivering the best care possible for veterans.
Our interactions with veterans through our polling and discussions informs our position that there is no one-size-fits-all solution within the community care debate. Many veterans are perfectly happy with the care and services the VA provides; many others are extremely dissatisfied with the VA, often for reasons connected to lack of timeliness, options, or flexibility.
Mission Roll Call supports increasing community care options for veterans because that’s what veterans are asking for to solve the issues they face every day.
Broad Support Among Veterans for Some Novel Treatments
As seen in the poll results below, in general the respondents to our survey support the inclusion of novel treatments for ailments. Mission Roll Call is working with several partners to introduce initiatives to help veterans where the research and results support it. Highlighting just one issue below, the studies on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy are promising and merit further support from Congress and the VA.
VA Home Loan Program Unaffected by This Change
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced it will end the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program on May 1, 2025, raising concerns for veterans facing foreclosure on their VA-backed home loans.
It’s important to note that the VA Home Loan Program is unaffected by these changes.
VASP was launched in May of 2024, and was designed to allow the VA to purchase delinquent loans and restructure them into more manageable terms, often with a fixed 2.5% interest rate. This program offered relief to thousands of veterans during a time of economic uncertainty.
In fact, since its launch on May 31, 2024, VASP has saved over 17,000 veterans and their families from losing their homes.
But the VA now argues that the program, especially at the scale it has reached, exceeds its legal authority. Initially intended as a means of last resort and designed for fewer than 100 cases, the Biden administration supercharged VASP. To date, the program has purchased over 17,000 loans at a cost of $5.4 billion. Future projections forecast assistance for up to 60,000 veterans, with an estimated $17 billion in projected costs.
While the program’s expansion was rooted in compassion, critics inside and outside of government warn that, on top of the exorbitant costs to taxpayers, it may have unintended consequences, including incentivizing veterans to miss payments in order to qualify for significantly lower interest rates.
Now, with VASP shutting down, the VA has assured that veterans already enrolled will remain in the program and continue receiving its benefits. But for those currently facing foreclosure, or teetering on the edge, a legislative solution is desperately needed.
HR 1815 – The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, introduced by Rep. Derrick Van Orden, aims to provide the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with clear authority to create a new, sustainable default management program for veterans. HR 1815 gives the Secretary of the VA the authority to manage a partial claim program, covering up to 20 percent of the unpaid principal balance of any single VA home loan. In return, the VA will receive a secured interest in the loan, subordinate to the primary mortgage lender.
More urgently, there are just weeks left before VASP expires, and lawmakers are working against the clock. The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) is calling on Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) to rally behind a bipartisan push—known as a “four corners” approach—to get HR 1815 passed quickly and help prevent a foreclosure crisis among our nation’s veterans.
Mission Roll Call supports efforts to protect veterans from losing their homes. While we await further progress on HR 1815, we urge Congress to move swiftly and ensure that no veteran is left behind during this transition. Stopgap solutions may be necessary, and we stand ready to support those efforts while advocating for long-term reform.
As more details become available, we’ll continue to keep our community informed and engaged.