Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) published ‘Listening to Veterans in Northwest Washington,’ a report capturing local veterans’ most pressing challenges and outlining policy recommendations for Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address these concerns.
“The stories and perspectives shared by veterans in Washington state’s Second District underscore both the progress the federal government has made in serving veterans and the work that remains,” said Rep. Larsen. “The experience of veterans in Northwest Washington state makes clear that the nation’s commitment to its veterans must go beyond words and ceremonies. Congress must continue to ensure access to comprehensive health care, affordable housing, quality education and meaningful employment opportunities for veterans.”
In his time in Congress, Rep. Larsen has hosted more than 70 forums to hear directly from Northwest Washington state veterans about their needs. In September, he hosted roundtables in Everett, Bellingham, Burlington, Oak Harbor and Lummi Nation, which serve as the foundation of the report.
Rep. Larsen invited representatives from Puget Sound VA to attend September’s roundtables. In past years, these forums have provided valuable opportunities for VA staff to both hear directly from veterans in Northwest Washington state and to help connect veterans with VA benefits and services. Unfortunately, VA did not attend this year’s events.
“It is unfortunate that VA did not take the opportunity to hear directly from veterans about their concerns,” said Rep. Larsen. “While the local Puget Sound VA representatives continue to be great partners in serving the veterans of Northwest Washington state, VA leadership must make a stronger commitment to engaging with veterans directly, including through forums like these roundtables.”
Today, Rep. Larsen sent a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins summarizing September’s meetings and sharing a copy of the ‘Listening to Veterans in Northwest Washington State’ report.
In 2022, Congress passed the Honoring our PACT Act and made the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in the nation’s history. As a result, the number of veterans receiving health care through VA has increased by 37 percent. Instead of hiring more staff to meet increased need, the Trump administration has cut approximately 30,000 employees from the VA workforce, including 2,000 registered nurses, 800 physicians and 500 social workers.
“Congress must oppose President Trump’s efforts to slash the VA workforce,” said Rep. Larsen. “Instead, we need to invest in more health care workers, administrative professionals and employment counselors to ensure veterans can receive high-quality care and benefits support.”
You can access Rep. Larsen’s report ‘Listening to Veterans in Northwest Washington’ HERE.
The full text of Rep. Larsen’s letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins is available HERE and below.
The Honorable Douglas A. Collins
Secretary
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
Dear Secretary Collins:
I am writing to share information and feedback from recent roundtables I held with veterans throughout my district. While I am disappointed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) did not participate in these productive community discussions, I am committed to ensuring VA hears the concerns of my local veterans and partners with my office to deliver the services and benefits these veterans need.
During my time in Congress, I have held more than 70 town halls and community discussions to hear from veterans in my district. These events have almost always been held in partnership with or with the participation of representatives from Puget Sound VA. My office has an excellent working relationship with our local VA leadership, who are committed to serving their community. VA’s participation in these community dialogues is essential to their success. Past events have resulted in casework success stories that have ensured veterans can access the health care and benefits they deserve. With VA’s help, I have written legislation to solve the problems I heard about at these district events.
From September 23-26, 2025, I held five veteran roundtables at Lummi Nation and in Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties, and invited representatives from Puget Sound VA to attend. However, not a single event had a VA representative in attendance. It is unfortunate that VA did not take the opportunity to hear directly from veterans about their concerns.
At these roundtables, veterans raised concerns about a wide range of issues, as outlined in the attached report, entitled Listening to Veterans in Northwest Washington. The topics raised included specific challenges related to transportation, health care and housing, which I look forward to working with VA to address.
In rural areas, health care access is a persistent problem. I heard from veterans about the difficulties they have accessing transportation to and from VA facilities, an issue that is especially acute for veterans living on islands and rural communities in my district. These veterans requested VA provide more mobile clinics to serve hard-to-reach areas.
While the community care system serves a great purpose in certain instances, veterans told me that they often wait for hours on the phone just to get a referral approved. Many also shared that they prefer care at VA facilities from providers trained in treating veterans. It is clear from these conversations that Congress and VA must invest in improving access to direct VA care, instead of expanding community care beyond its necessary scope.
Washington state continues to have one of the highest rates of veteran homelessness in the nation. Preventing veteran homelessness starts with keeping veterans in their homes. In the Second District, the VA Service Purchasing Program (VASP) provided a critical safety net for veterans facing foreclosure on VA-backed home loans until VA ended the program in May 2025. I heard directly from veteran service providers who helped veterans keep their homes under VASP, but are now unable to do the same for others. By ending VASP without a suitable alternative in place, especially as the cost of living continues to rise, VA has caused even more veteran homelessness, and that is unacceptable.
Going forward, I sincerely hope that VA recognizes the importance of partnering with Members of Congress to listen to veterans about how VA can better deliver world-class health care and benefits to the women and men who have served.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I stand ready to work with you to serve the veterans of Northwest Washington state and look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
Rick Larsen
U.S. Representative
Washington State, Second District
###
