FILE PHOTO: A sign marks the headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 20, 2025.REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
President Donald Trump's administration is charging ahead with his goal of hollowing out the federal civil service. This now reportedly includes tens of thousands of people at the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA).
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that VA Secretary Doug Collins is planning to slash the agency's workforce from 470,000 to roughly 398,000 employees this August. Collins promised that hiring would continue for "mission critical" roles and that the layoffs won't impact healthcare or benefits for veterans and their families.
“For many years, veterans have been asking for a more efficient, accountable and transparent VA,” Collins said in a video posted to his X account on Wednesday. “This administration is finally going to give the veterans what they want.”
However, Everett Kelly, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees — whose union represents roughly 300,000 VA workers — disagreed with Collins' assessment that the mass firings wouldn't impact the quality of services veterans receive. He told the Journal that if the layoffs go through, veterans and their family members "will suffer unnecessarily, and the will of Congress will be ignored."
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Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who is the ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, disagreed that the cuts would have minimal impact. He pointed out that the mass firings would violate the 2022 PACT Act, which expanded veterans' healthcare and benefits.
“Their plan prioritizes private sector profits over veterans’ care, balancing the budget on the backs of those who served,” Blumenthal said. “It’s a shameful betrayal, and veterans will pay the price for their unforgivable corruption, incompetence and immorality.”
The VA has already fired more than 1,400 "probationary" employees who have been on the job for less than a year, and who have fewer job protections than more tenured workers. Among those 1,400 workers included support staff for the VA's crisis line, which provides emergency mental health services to veterans in crisis.
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