WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that according to an internal memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
The VA's chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, told top-level officials at the agency Tuesday that it had an objective to cut enough employees to return to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000. That would require terminating tens of thousands of employees after the VA expanded during the Biden administration, as well as to cover veterans impacted by burn pits under the 2022 PACT Act.
The instructs top-level staff to prepare for an agency-wide reorganization in August to 鈥渞esize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.鈥� It also calls for agency officials to work with the White House's Department of Government Efficiency to 鈥渕ove out aggressively, while taking a pragmatic and disciplined approach鈥� to the Trump administration's goals. Government Executive first reported on the internal memo.
鈥淭hings need to change,鈥� Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said in a video posted on social media Wednesday afternoon, adding that the layoffs would not mean cuts to veterans' health care or benefits.
鈥淭his administration is finally going to give the veterans what they want," Collins said. "President Trump has a mandate for generational change in Washington and that's exactly what we're going to deliver at the VA.鈥�
Veterans have already been the cuts at the VA that so far had included a few thousand employees and hundreds of contracts. More than 25% of the VA's workforce is comprised of veterans.
The plans underway at the VA showed how the Trump administration鈥檚 DOGE initiative, led by billionaire , is not holding back on an all-out effort to slash federal agencies, even for those that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement that the president 鈥渞efuses to accept the VA bureaucracy and bloat that has hindered veterans鈥� ability to receive timely and quality care." She added that the changes would 鈥渆nsure greater efficiency and transparency" at the VA.
The VA last year experienced its highest-ever service levels, reaching over 9 million enrollees and delivering more than 127.5 million health care appointments, according to the agency鈥檚 figures.
However, Michael Missal, who was the VA's inspector general for nine years until he was fired last month as part of Trump's of independent oversight officials at government agencies, told the AP that the VA is already suffering from a lack of 鈥渆xpertise鈥� as top-level officials either leave or are shuffled around under the president's plans.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 going to happen is VA鈥檚 not going to perform as well for veterans, and veterans are going to get harmed,鈥� said Missal, who was a guest of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. at Trump's Tuesday .
Rather than leaning on the missions of inspectors general, whose job is to search out waste and fraud at government agencies, Trump has moved forcefully against them, flouting statutes that require a 30-day notice and specific reasons for their dismissals. Missal is in court alongside seven other fired inspectors general.
Missal described the VA as 鈥渁 really complicated, hard to manage organization鈥� that is similar in size to the largest corporations in America. He defended his work at the agency as committed to make it more efficient and responsive to veterans. By Missal鈥檚 count, the VA inspector general鈥檚 oversight resulted in $45 billion being saved at the agency during his tenure.
But he added that Trump鈥檚 actions against the inspectors general is making it more difficult for the officials still in those offices to do their jobs.
In Congress, Democrats have decried the cuts at the VA and other agencies, while Republicans have so far watched with caution the Trump administration's changes.
Rep. Mike Bost, the Republican chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement that he would "continue to ask questions and keep a close eye on how, or if, this plan evolves."
鈥淚 have questions about the impact these reductions and discussions could have on the delivery of services, especially following the implementation of the PACT Act,鈥� Bost added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the Republican chair of the Senate Budget Committee, was displeased the VA had not given lawmakers an advance notification of the changes, saying it was 鈥減olitical malpractice not to consult Congress.鈥�
鈥淢aybe you鈥檝e got a good reason to do it,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we don鈥檛 need to be reading memos in the paper about a 20% cut at the VA.鈥�
The changes underway at the VA are already prompting worry among veterans groups as they face layoffs and confusion about whether their services will be affected.
Brent Reiffer, a Marine veteran who receives medical care through the VA and advocates with the Wounded Warrior Project, said that among his community 鈥渃onfusion that leads to frustration" is setting in.
鈥淚f you draw that to a conclusion sometimes, it鈥檚 the veteran just throws the hands up and sort of doesn鈥檛 go to the VA,鈥� Reiffer said. 鈥淲hat you end up with is a lot of veterans that are not getting the care that they deserve.鈥�
Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees veteran's affairs, said in a statement that the Trump administration 鈥渉as launched an all-out assault" against progress the VA has made in expanding its services as the number of covered veterans grows and includes those impacted by toxic burn pits.
鈥淭heir plan prioritizes private sector profits over veterans鈥� care, balancing the budget on the backs of those who served. It鈥檚 a shameful betrayal, and veterans will pay the price for their unforgivable corruption, incompetence, and immorality," Blumenthal said in a statement.
Democratic leaders in the House also spotlighted the impact of Trump's cuts on veterans Wednesday.
Rep. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 ranked in House Democratic leadership, said at a news conference, 鈥淒emocrats are here to say in unison we will not allow our veterans to be defined as government waste."
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro contributed reporting.
Stephen Groves, The Associated Press
