By Wednesday afternoon, however, VA leaders had paused those actions, saying they were going through the contracts “line-by-line” to ensure that veterans would not be harmed b

Veterans Affairs leaders this week touted $2 billion in savings for department efforts from canceled government contracts they insist were not providing real benefits to veterans, but critics are warning the efforts could seriously jeopardize some health and benefits services.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins announced Tuesday that his department saved nearly $2 billion by ending contracts he deemed no longer necessary. The announcement came as roughly 1,000 employees were laid off from the Department of Veterans Affairs.