Kaine, Vindman hear from veterans on wait times at VA center

"Several area veterans were joined by Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Eugene Vindman for a roundtable discussion about the Fredericksburg VA (Veterans Affairs) Health Care Center.

The discussion, held at Howell Branch Library, centered on the disappointments veterans have experienced with the new center that opened in May of 2025. Chief among the concerns veterans voiced were the exorbitant wait times for appointments and inadequate staffing. Senator Kaine says the facility is state-of-the-art but woefully understaffed due to federal staffing cuts. The consensus is that inadequate staffing results in veterans waiting months to be seen by a provider.

'It’s been a kind of cognitive dissidence to be opening facilities but then read headlines of the “brass” at the VA saying we’re going to cut 80,000 people,' Kaine said. 'How can you do that and also staff up?'"