Ciscomani, VA Secretary Collins Reiterate Support for Veterans during Tucson Visit

April 29, 2025

“Our goal is to make sure veterans in Arizona and across the country get the best possible care we can provide”

TUCSON, AZ - U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins reiterated their shared commitment to care for the men and women who’ve served our country in uniform.

During a tour of Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, both the Congressman and the Secretary strongly pushed back on false claims that mission-critical positions within the VA will be cut, causing possible disruptions in the delivery of care and benefits.

“Don’t believe the lies,” Ciscomani said. “No one is talking about cutting positions for anyone that provides direct care or benefits to veterans. No one is talking about eliminating services. Our goal is to make sure veterans in Arizona and across the country get the best possible care we can provide.”

The Secretary spent the morning with Ciscomani in Tucson, meeting with the Congressman’s Veterans Advisory Council, touring the Tucson VA and discussing services to veterans with hospital leadership.

“One of the things that I spend 50 percent of my time on is basically fighting back against inuendo and rumor about what’s going on at the VA by those who think they know what’s going on at the VA,” Secretary Collins said.

Ciscomani, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, represents a district with nearly 80,000 veterans, one of the largest veteran populations of any Congressional district in the country. His Veterans Advisory Council includes community leaders like Sierra Vista Mayor Clea McCaa and Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy.

“It is my duty, and honor, to advocate on behalf of veterans to ensure their needs are prioritized by the federal government,” said Ciscomani. “I am incredibly grateful to Secretary Collins for his leadership, our shared commitment to veterans, and for taking the time to talk with those who served, tour VA facilities in Tucson, and counter false narratives about cuts to mission-critical employees, healthcare, and benefits. Secretary Collins is a fantastic partner. I look forward to continuing working together to modernize and improve the VA to deliver on our promise to our veterans.”

“Under President Trump’s leadership, VA is challenging the status quo to find new and better ways of serving America’s heroes,” said Secretary Collins. “As part of that effort, we’re visiting VA facilities in Tucson and across the nation to see what’s working and what needs improvement. We will reform the department to make it work better for America’s Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors, and we thank Rep. Ciscomani for his support.”

Veteran Advisory Council 

Ciscomani hosted a meeting of his Veteran Advisory Council with Secretary Collins where they reiterated that there are no plans to reduce access to healthcare or cut benefits at the VA. 

Tucson VA Medical Center Leadership

Ciscomani and Secretary Collins met with leadership at the Tucson VA Medical Center to discuss recruitment and retention initiatives and countered false claims that the VA was planning cuts to mission-critical positions within the agency.

Tour of the Tucson VA Medical Center

Ciscomani, Secretary Collins tour facilities in the Tucson VA Medical Center.

Background:

Last week, Ciscomani honored 31 veterans from across Arizona 6th Congressional District in his second annual Veterans Service Leadership Award Ceremony.
Through casework, Ciscomani’s team has returned $3.65 million to veteran-constituents, including $1.25 million since January 2025. 
Lead an effort to streamline the process eligible veterans must follow to receive a Purple Heart.
So far in the 119th, Ciscomani has introduced three pieces of veterans-focused legislation, with one of these bills passing the House of Representatives unanimously.
- The Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivor Act (H.R. 1228)  would move the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) back within the Office of the VA Secretary to ensure that families of fallen veterans are able to receive the benefits and support they deserve. 
  - This bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously on April 9, 2025.  
- The Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act (H.R. 668) would improve healthcare coordination and management for veterans over the age of 65 who qualify for benefits from both the VA and Medicare. 
- The Veterans Education and Technical Skills (VETS) Opportunity Act (H.R. 1458) would expand veterans’ access to educational opportunities for high-demand skilled trade and vocational programs, whether they are in-person or partially online.

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Issues: Veterans