The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has dismissed over 1,000 probationary employees in a sweeping round of federal government layoffs that began this week, raising concerns about the impact on veterans’ care and benefits.
The layoffs, affecting non-mission-critical employees with less than two years of service, are part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to cut the 2.4 million-strong civil servant workforce. According to a VA statement released Thursday, the cuts will save the agency more than $98 million annually, with those funds redirected toward health care, benefits, and services for veterans.
“There are currently more than 43,000 probationary employees across the department, the vast majority of whom are exempt from today’s personnel actions because they serve in mission-critical positions,” the VA said, emphasizing that frontline workers providing direct care to veterans were largely unaffected.
However, lawmakers and veterans’ advocates have expressed alarm, warning that the firings—some of which included VA researchers—could disrupt crucial programs. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) cited the impact on research into mental health, cancer treatments, opioid addiction, and burn pit exposure.
“I’ve heard from VA researchers in my state who are being told to immediately stop their work and pack their bags—not because their research isn’t desperately needed, but because Trump and Elon [Musk] have decided to fire these researchers on a whim,” Murray said in a statement.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) echoed those concerns, calling the layoffs an “indiscriminate” move that will only add strain to an already overburdened system.
“Firing 1,000 VA staff will clearly do nothing to better serve our veterans,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Instead, it instills chaos and uncertainty in a system that is already short-staffed and complicated to navigate.”
For years, VA hospitals have struggled with significant staffing shortages, particularly among physicians, nurses, and psychologists. A 2023 report from the VA’s inspector general found that these shortages have hampered patient care and increased wait times for veterans seeking medical attention.
Despite the backlash, VA Secretary Doug Collins defended the layoffs, calling them a “tough decision” but ultimately “the right call” to improve support for veterans and their families. He maintained that the dismissals would not negatively affect VA services.
But outside VA headquarters on Thursday, Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), alongside Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), labor unions, and veterans’ groups, condemned the move as an attack on those who have served the country.
“Trump does not believe in service, does not believe in sacrifice,” Van Hollen said. “This is the person who has turned the keys to federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, over to Elon Musk. This has nothing to do with efficiency.”
