More than 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees were fired this week as part of efforts by President Donald Trump and presidential adviser Elon Musk to slash the size of the federal government.
The VA announced Thursday that roughly 2.3% of its “probationary” workforce — those who competed for jobs but had less than a year at the VA or employees appointed to specific positions without going through the standard federal hiring process and have served less than two years — were dismissed effective immediately.
VA officials did not say what roles the employees filled but added that most of the department’s 43,000 probationary workers are exempt from federal workforce reductions because they serve in “mission critical” positions.
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“At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on veteran care,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement Thursday. “We thank these employees for their service to VA. This was a tough decision, but ultimately it’s the right call to better support the veterans, families, caregivers and survivors the department exists to serve.”
The VA has almost 450,000 employees, nearly 92% of whom work in health care and health administration and support services.
In separate moves, the VA announced Jan. 23 that more than 300,000 positions at the department were exempt from a federal hiring freeze announced Jan. 20 and more than 130 job categories are not eligible for the deferred resignation program offer issued by the Office of Personnel Management on Jan. 28.
The department estimates that the dismissal of probationary workers will save more than $98 million per year, which it will “redirect … back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries,” according to a news release. In fiscal 2023, the VA’s budget was nearly $304 billion, including mandatory spending such as disability payments and pensions.
The Office of Personnel Management’s directive to dismiss personnel across government agencies who had not yet gained civil servant employment protections has affected an unknown number of federal workers.
The Trump administration also has targeted some agencies for personnel cuts beyond just new workers, however, starting with the U.S. Agency for International Development on Feb. 3 and the Department of Education this week.
This week, OPM also cut all non-union employees from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, including the entire staff of seven at the agency’s Office of Servicemember Affairs, although some may have submitted their resignations under the OPM’s deferred resignation program.
In addition to the provisional personnel cuts, the VA also appears to be canceling contracts for research on veteran suicide, opioid addiction, cancer and illnesses related to burn pits.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said Thursday the administration has stopped honoring term limits for researchers and has been dismissing them, a move that will hurt veterans and “red and blue states.”
“I’m hearing from longtime VA researchers in my home state of Washington who are right now being told to immediately stop their research and pack their bags — not because their work isn’t desperately needed, but because Trump and Elon have decided to fire these researchers on a whim,” Murray said in a statement. “Americans should understand by now when it comes to these kinds of indiscriminate cuts and arbitrary mass firings –Trump and Elon have no idea what they are doing, nor do they care who they hurt in the process.”
Democratic lawmakers, union officials and some VA employees held a protest outside the VA building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday demanding protections for VA workers and decrying the operations of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency at the VA.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee’s ranking member, said VA employees are reporting impacts that include closures of operating rooms, reductions in the number of available intensive care unit beds, and cuts to inpatient mental health facilities.
“Nine million veterans across the country depend on the VA disability benefits and health care day in and day out. Real-life impacts cannot be ignored,” Blumenthal said.
In a statement, Collins insisted the cuts would not hurt veterans.
According to the VA, in order to ensure that veterans services aren’t affected by the layoffs, top leaders can request exemptions for specific employees.
“To be perfectly clear: These moves will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors,” Collins said.
House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., said he takes Collins at his word.
“I am looking forward to working with the Trump administration to continue to make necessary improvements and efficiencies at VA to put veterans at the center of everything VA does,” Bost said in a statement Friday.
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