VA Secretary Collins Marks Veterans Day: 47 New Clinics Opened, Benefits Backlog Down Nearly 70%
U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins released a statement on November 11 for Veterans Day. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued the statement at 9 a.m. ET, in which Collins honored veterans, listed the department's main accomplishments under the current administration and pledged further improvements.
Collins said America celebrated her 250th anniversary this year, a milestone that would not have been possible without the millions of American veterans who fought to defend the nation, and that each Veterans Day honors their service and sacrifice while redoubling efforts to take care of them after they have hung up the uniform.
He said delivering the care and benefits veterans have earned through their service is VA's job, and that under President Trump, VA is doing that better, faster and more efficiently than ever before, while adding that the work is not done and more improvements are ahead.
The accomplishments listed include 47 new healthcare clinics opened to expand access nationwide, a backlog of veterans waiting for benefits down nearly 70% since January 20, 2025, and average disability claims processing time cut by 46%.
VA processed a record 3.11 million compensation claims in fiscal 2026, up 23.5% from fiscal 2024, granting more than 60% of claims filed with an accuracy rate of nearly 94%, the highest in three years, the statement said. More than 330,000 new veterans enrolled in VA healthcare in 2026, and direct care appointments reached a record 82.7 million in fiscal 2026.
VA also invested nearly $5 billion in fiscal 2026 to modernize, repair and improve healthcare facilities, the largest non-recurring maintenance investment in its history, and housed more than 95,000 homeless veterans across fiscal 2025 and 2026, according to the statement.
(Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国退伍军人事务部长 Doug Collins 官方肖像。照片：美国退伍军人事务部，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons；竖幅原图以模糊衬底全幅呈现。 / Photo: Official portrait of U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins. Photo by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; the portrait original is presented in full on a blurred backdrop.
