{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vindman.house.gov/2026/08/28/vindman-kaine-meet-with-veterans-discuss-long-wait-times-and-care-options-at-fredericksburg-va-health-care-center/", "Vindman, Kaine Meet with Veterans, Discuss Long Wait\u00a0Times\u00a0and Care Options at Fredericksburg VA\u00a0Health Care Center", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Eugene Simon Vindman", "V000138", "vindman.house.gov", "vindman", "https://vindman.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Fredericksburg, Va. \u2014 On Monday, August 24, Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) hosted a roundtable with veterans from the community to discuss their experiences with the Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center. Vindman has repeatedly called for action from leadership at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reduce wait times at this state-of-the-art facility.\n\n\u201cVeterans in Virginia\u2019s Seventh District and across the country have earned the very best care our nation can provide, and long wait times for critical health services are unacceptable,\u201d said Vindman. \u201cWe heard from veterans whose appointments have been delayed, canceled, or disrupted because the VA doesn\u2019t have the staff it needs. This roundtable helped highlight these stories, renewing our call to increase transparency and accountability at the VA. Our veterans kept their promise to America. We must keep our promise to them.\u201d\n\n\u201cI was glad to hear directly from veterans that they are pleased with the quality of their care, but I will keep pushing the VA to do more to address wait times,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cVirginia is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the nation, and I will always advocate for our servicemembers, veterans, and their families to have access to the high-quality, timely care they deserve.\u201d\n\nView all photos from the roundtable here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nIn mid-July 2026, 200 Virginians responded to a survey from Vindman about the delays they experienced at the Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center. He personally called over 30 of these veterans to express his commitment to demanding better from the VA.\n\nIn June 2026, Vindman introduced bipartisan legislation to increase transparency and accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), helping address understaffing at facilities across the country, including the Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center, and ensure veterans receive the care they earned.\n\nPrior to that, Vindman called for accountability and a clear timeline to bring the facility to full capacity, ensuring our nation\u2019s veterans receive the care they earned through their service in six different letters. All of these letters have gone without a written or substantial response.\n\nVindman sent the first letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on April 10, 2025. Read the letter here.\n\nVindman sent the second letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on October 6, 2025. Read the letter here.\n\nVindman sent the third letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on October 17, 2025. Read the letter here.\n\nVindman sent the fourth letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on October 27, 2025. Read the letterhere.\n\nVindman sent the fifth letter to Secretary Collins raising the concern on staffing, wait times, and the ability to best serve veterans on April 10, 2026. Read the letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://vindman.house.gov/2026/08/28/vindman-kaine-meet-with-veterans-discuss-long-wait-times-and-care-options-at-fredericksburg-va-health-care-center/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9090490639209747, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}