At Veterans Committee Hearing, Senator Murray Slams Secretary Collins for Unacceptable Response to the Murder of VA Nurse Alex Pretti; Presses Collins on VA Abortion Ban

***WATCH: Senator Murray's exchange at the hearing***

Washington, D.C. - Today, at a Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)-a former chair and senior member of the committee-spoke forcefully about the murder of Alex Pretti and Secretary Collins' insulting and inadequate response, and pressed Secretary Collins on VA's response to employees at the Minneapolis VA who are mourning the death of their colleague. Senator Murray also pressed Secretary Collins on the Trump administration's extreme VA abortion ban, which prohibits abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

In opening comments, Senator Murray said:

"Before I begin my questions-people across America are really reeling from the horrifying murder of Alex Pretti by federal agents.

"As we all know, Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. He is remembered by colleagues and friends as a calm presence amid the chaos of the hospital, someone who cared deeply for the veterans he served. He was remembered as a mentor, a caretaker, and someone who wanted to make a difference in the world. The father of one veteran Mr. Pretti cared for until the end, described him as'the sweetest person you can imagine.'

"Alex Pretti spent his last minutes trying to help a woman, she was a bystander who was being assaulted by federal agents. He was killed by those federal agents moments later.

"Immediately after he was killed-the Trump administration began spreading sickening lies about him. They lied about who he was, what he was holding, what he was doing in the moments before his death.

"Trump and the miserable folks at the DHS showed right away they didn't care about getting the facts-any facts. They told Americans not to believe what we all saw and heard with our own eyes and ears. We all saw an American shot and killed by federal agents in broad daylight.

"Mr. Secretary, your initial response to a VA nurse being killed by federal agents was to blame it on Minnesota officials. You didn't say a word about who Alex Pretti was, or the incredible work that he did for veterans. You mentioned him today but still didn't refer to that. That is certainly a choice.

"Words cannot describe how outraged I am-and how outraged we all should be-at the killing of Alex Pretti, who simply did not have to die, and at this administration's rush to spread lies about American citizens-whose only crime was peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.

"Joining ICE or Border Patrol does not give you a license to murder. So I want to reiterate to all of you that there must be an independent investigation and real accountability here.

"This can't continue-and I hope that we agree on that basic point, and Republicans join us to work with us to make that happen."

[VA STAFF MOURNING ALEX PRETTI]

Senator Murray began her questioning by pressing Secretary Collins on reports that Minneapolis VA employees have not been granted personal leave to mourn their colleague, saying: "It is my understanding that Minneapolis VA employees have not been granted personal leave to mourn their colleague because they're subject to mandatory overtime due to staffing shortages. Are you allowing any of the employees there to get personal help, to take any time off, or to offer them your support as they go through a very trying time of losing a very close colleague?"

"Yes, we are providing all that we can through the Minneapolis VA to those workers," Secretary Collins said, before turning the question to Gregory Goins, Acting Chief Operating Officer at the Veterans Health Administration. Mr. Goins replied that, "When… these tragedies occur; they're offered employee assistance programs, they're offered Whole Health employee assistance programs, they're also offered things through community partners, if necessary. If anybody comes forward to want to take leave because of a coworker, a close coworker, we always have empathy in allowing them to do so."

"And if I could just add-and I apologize-they just had a memorial service for Alex Pretti yesterday at noon, where over 300 employees attended and were able to memorialize and remember him," Mr. Goins continued.

Later in the hearing, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) followed up on Senator Murray's line of questioning, grilling Secretary Collins on an email received by staff at the Minneapolis VA yesterday that said in part, "we have been instructed to pause the memorial planned for today." The vigil was held anyway. Secretary Collins and Mr. Goins placed the blame for the email on "a leadership official in Minneapolis," denying they had instructed staff at the Minneapolis VA to pause the memorial for Alex Pretti that they had referenced in their testimony.

[VA ABORTION BAN]

Senator Murray continued her questioning by pressing Secretary Collins on the Trump administration's decision to implement a near-total ban on abortion care at VA, and ban providers from even discussing abortion with their veteran patients- moves Senator Murray has repeatedly and forcefully spoken out against:

"In late December, not long ago, the Trump administration quietly implemented a near-total abortion ban at the VA," Senator Murray said. "VA's final rule prevents the more than 460,000 women veterans of reproductive age-over half of whom live in states with abortion bans-from receiving abortion care at the VA now. VA providers aren't even allowed to discuss abortion as an option with veteran patients."

Senator Murray asked, "Secretary Collins, a simple question, if a veteran has been raped, is she able to get abortion care at the VA under current policy? Yes or No?"

"The VA was up until '22, was not doing any abortions at all. This was a decision by the previous administration to bend the law to go back, something that had been of over generations of both Democrat and Republican administration, that the VA was not in the issue of abortion," answered Secretary Collins in part.

Senator Murray reiterated, "No. A simple question, if you are raped, can you get abortion care?"

Secretary Collins replied in part, "There are no abortions to be done at the VA medical centers, except the ones that are the life threatening of a mother."

"I just want everyone to know, under this VA Final Rule - no exceptions for rape or incest. And I find that outrageous," Senator Murray responded.

"Up until October, or until '22 when Secretary McDonough changed what was the high precedent and law of this country, there were no abortions of any kind for any excuse or any reason," said Secretary Collins in part.

"And he rightfully corrected that to make sure that if someone was raped or a victim of incest, they could get health care," Senator Murray corrected Secretary Collins.

Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee-as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. Senator Murray has been outspoken in standing up for veterans, VA employees, and VA researchers against Trump and Elon Musk's indiscriminate mass layoffs this year-forcefully denouncing the administration's plans, pressing administration witnesses at every opportunity, and holding multiple press conferences with VA employees and veterans in Washington state who were abruptly laid off for no reason. Earlier this year, Senator Murray forcefully denounced the Trump administration's initial plan to fire 80,000 employees at VA. Toward the end of last year, Senator Murray released a videoslamming the Trump administration's new plan not to fill thousands of open positions at VA, and demanding answers.

Advocating for women veterans and their access to reproductive health care has also been a longtime focus for Senator Murray. Senator Murray called on VA to provide abortion care to veterans early in the Biden administration, and she applauded the Biden administration's announcement later in the year that would begin to provide abortion care for veterans and their eligible dependents to protect the health and life of the individual and in cases of rape or incest. Murray has helped lead the charge in calling out Republicans for their attacks on, and attempts to undo, this limited and commonsense policy. Senator Murray also leads the Veteran Families Health Services Act, comprehensive legislation that would expand fertility treatments-including IVF-and family-building services for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance, and she has sought unanimous consent to pass the legislation on multiple occasions. She introduced new legislation last summer with Senator Duckworth to help cover IVF costs for servicemembers and military families-and slammed Speaker Johnson from working behind the scenes to strip an amendment mirroring that legislation from the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. Senator Murray voted against the NDAA last year, citing-among other things-the failure to include her provision to expand IVF care for servicemembers and veterans. Yesterday, Senator Murray introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Trump Administration's new rule ending abortion counseling entirely and abortion care for veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health.

Senator Murray slammed the Trump administration's initial move to ban abortion care at VA in August, and sounded the alarm again in December when the Trump administration quietly implemented a near-total abortion ban at VA.

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