The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is set to cut over 80,000 jobs, reducing staffing to 2019 levels, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters. The directive, led by VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek, seeks to "eliminate waste" and "increase workforce efficiency" by collaborating with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The move, part of a broader federal downsizing under President Donald Trump, has already seen 25,000 government workers fired and 75,000 accept buyouts. While the administration argues the government exists to "serve people, not employ them," critics fear devastating consequences for veterans.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins acknowledged the difficulty of the layoffs but defended them as necessary. However, Everett Kelley, head of the American Federation of Government Employees, warned that the cuts would harm veterans and their families. Democratic Senator Patty Murray called the move a "full-scale assault on veterans," while Senator Richard Blumenthal accused the administration of pushing toward VA privatization.
The backlash extends across party lines. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham admitted the cuts are "rattling" for veterans. The White House and VA have yet to comment.
Meanwhile, Trump and Musk’s broader federal workforce reductions faced a legal hurdle when a board ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reinstate thousands of laid-off employees. A federal judge also ruled against mass terminations of probationary workers, prompting the Office of Personnel Management to revise its firing guidelines.
With growing opposition, the VA’s planned cuts could face further legal and political challenges.