WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is preparing for a significant restructuring that involves eliminating 80,000 positions within the agency, which provides healthcare to retired military personnel, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.
VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek informed senior officials that the goal is to reduce the workforce to 2019 levels, just under 400,000 employees. Achieving this would mean cutting tens of thousands of positions that were added during the Biden administration, including those brought in to support veterans affected by burn pits under the 2022 PACT Act.
The memo directs agency leaders to prepare for a department-wide reorganization set for August, aiming to “resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.” It also emphasizes collaboration with the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency to “move out aggressively, while taking a pragmatic and disciplined approach” in implementing the Trump administration’s objectives.
Veterans have begun voicing concerns over the job reductions, which have already resulted in thousands of layoffs and the termination of hundreds of contracts. More than a quarter of VA employees are veterans themselves.
In Congress, Democrats have strongly opposed the reductions at the VA and other federal agencies, while Republicans have largely remained cautious in their response to the administration’s plans.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the ranking Democrat on the Senate committee overseeing veterans’ affairs, criticized the move, stating that the Trump administration “has launched an all-out assault” on the VA’s progress in expanding services for the growing number of covered veterans, including those affected by toxic burn pits.
“Their plan prioritizes private sector profits over veterans’ care, balancing the budget on the backs of those who served. It’s a shameful betrayal, and veterans will pay the price for their unforgivable corruption, incompetence, and immorality,”
Blumenthal said in a statement.
The internal memo was first reported by Government Executive.