The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 80,000 employees, aiming to revert to staffing levels from 2019. This initiative seeks to enhance efficiency without compromising healthcare or benefits for veterans.
The VA currently employs about 482,000 staff members. The planned reduction would bring the workforce down to approximately 400,000, aligning with pre-2020 numbers.
VA Secretary Doug Collins acknowledged the difficulty of this decision but emphasized its necessity to better support veterans. He stated, “These and other recent personnel decisions are extraordinarily difficult, but VA is focused on allocating its resources to help as many Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors as possible.”
Critics argue that the layoffs could negatively impact the quality of services provided to veterans. Representative Mark Takano expressed concern, stating that the firings could harm veterans, military spouses, civil servants, and their families.
The layoffs are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to decrease the federal workforce, with similar reductions planned for other agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS aims to reduce its 90,000-strong workforce by half through layoffs, attrition, and buyouts.
Veterans, who constitute approximately 30% of the federal workforce, are expected to be significantly affected both as recipients of services and as employees. Despite the planned layoffs, President Trump assured that veterans would still be “taken good care of.”
In recent weeks, the VA has already dismissed over 1,000 probationary employees, a move that officials claim will save approximately $98 million annually. These funds are intended to be redirected toward healthcare, benefits, and services for VA beneficiaries.
The administration maintains that these staffing reductions are necessary to improve efficiency and reallocate resources to better serve veterans. However, the potential impact on the quality and accessibility of services remains a point of contention among stakeholders.