ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — While protesters were gathered outside the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Tuesday, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins met with reporters inside.

Collins, who was sworn in on Feb. 5, 2025, following his nomination by President Donald Trump, unveiled plans earlier this month to cut about 70,000 VA jobs.

During his stop in Asheville, he stressed that health care and other critical workers would not be part of the layoffs. The aim, he said, was to streamline operations without compromising essential services.

“There’s nothing troubles me more than letting people go,” Collins said.

But the savings from the cuts, he said, were being redirected to patient care.

“Let me just make one thing clear. Health care and benefits are not being cut,” Collins stressed. “I have people out there on the outside, even probably out here in the front today saying, ‘You’re cutting benefits.’ Quit lying. That’s all I’ve got to say. Quit lying. Quit scaring my veterans. Quit scaring my employees.”

Collins said cuts were being made “at the bureaucracy layer.” Laying off doctors and nurses, “that’s not even in our consideration right now,” he said.

“I need more good doctors. I need more good nurses. I need more good people who are taking care of people on the front line,” Collins said.

The secretary confirmed 14 or 15 employees had been terminated at the Asheville hospital. He said those included an executive assistant, interior designers and some stock clerks.

“I’ve said this from day one of my time in office that the veteran is going to be first at the VA,” Collins said. “The VA exists for the veterans, and we’re going to make that happen. At the end of the day, it’s always going to be from my heart to just saying, we got to take care of our veterans first.”

Collins said the VA had become a source of contention, with many complaining about the system’s shortfalls. That’s one reason for the changes happening now.

“Everybody wants to complain about the VA Even good ones like Asheville get lumped into everything else. But yet the minute somebody says, ‘Let’s change something.’ It’s, ‘Oh, you can’t touch that,'” Collins said. “I’m going to challenge anybody that you can’t tell me that the things are bad and then tell me we can’t change anything.”

Collins said the VA had become a source of contention, with many complaining about the system’s shortfalls. That’s one reason for the changes happening now.

The question, he said, is how can we make the VA better.

“Instead of yelling and protesting, I would encourage, that’s a great first step, right? God bless America. But at the end of the day, what are we doing to fix the system?” Collins said.

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