GUTTING THE VA: INSIDE THE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN TO CUT 83,000 JOBS BY AUGUST
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is going to look a lot different should the Trump administration follow through with its ongoing plans to cut tens of thousands of jobs. While there were already concerns surrounding the possibility of fewer research contractors and crisis workers, a new memo released in March 2025 shows that as many as 83,000 people will be cut.
Memo Says VA Could Cut 83,000 Positions
While the government works to figure out who is “essential” to the VA, workers and Veterans alike are monitoring considerable cuts sure to be felt at multiple levels of the organization.
An internal memo for leadership leaked in early March 2025, highlighting a review of the VA on multiple levels. This includes not only looking at workers but the overall mission of the VA, how it’s structured, and more.
The plan is to collaborate with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) so that the department will be optimized while letting go of a workforce where 25% are Veterans.
"VA, in partnership with our DOGE leads, will move out aggressively, while taking a pragmatic and disciplined approach to identify and eliminate waste, reduce management and bureaucracy, reduce footprint, and increase workforce efficiency," wrote VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek in the memo.
Cuts Are In Line With Trump’s Executive Orders
We’ve already seen a wave of executive orders during President Trump’s second term; however, there are two specifically calling for more cuts to the federal government, which would include the VA.
Controversies broke out after some probationary employees were let go, with fears that Veteran care would take a hit. Still, the VA is one of the government departments that still retained most of its staff compared to others facing DOGE’s ambitious cutbacks.
"This effort will require the entirety of VA staff and organizations to work together in a collaborative fashion, as well as to coordinate actions with DOGE and the administration as a whole, to achieve the desired results within the allotted time frame," wrote Syrek.
Still, the ties to the services for Vets, along with the notable Veteran employee population, makes even smaller cuts feel much bigger due to their impact on the community.
Downsizing Is Complicated
Looking for ways to cut the government was always going to be tied to the cost of healthcare and the VA; however, getting rid of staff members isn’t an easy task.
For starters, during President Biden’s administration, our government hired a lot of employees—the U.S. even hit a new record in 2023, following 61,000 new additions to the Veterans Health Administration on its own.
However, this is less about political affiliations and more about the VHA and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) having to rise to meet the increased needs both continue to face.
Despite slowing down on hiring in the 2024 Fiscal Year because so many more Veterans could receive benefits with the PACT Act, adding more workers became necessary due to the increase in volume.
2025 VA Layoffs: What to Expect and When to Expect Them
There are more Veterans in need of services these days due to the PACT Act; however, an increase in employees began due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the government is to achieve its goal of reaching pre-pandemic staffing levels, meaning there would be around 399,000 to 400,000 employees, it would have to cut around 83,000 people this year.
While there are 459,000 full-time employees, in total, around 482,000 people work at the VA.
“Gutting VA’s staffing to pre-PACT Act levels will cripple the very system that millions of Veterans rely on, denying them access to lifesaving healthcare, claims processing, and education benefits they’ve earned,” said Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.
The Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget are going to receive data collected by the VA by April 14, 2025. This process is already underway.
Once this information is collected, the government plans to look at individual components of the organization in May, which will lead to a reorganization plan in June. Cuts should begin in July and August 2025.
The VA is developing the Reorganization Implementation Cell (RIC), which mainly consists of high-level staff members responsible for everything from HR to security. These individuals will collaborate with DOGE to create a path of transition for the department.
“VA liaisons to DOGE will be integrated into VA RIC operations, ensuring positive and continuous communications with the administration through all phases of the operation,” said Syrek.
Pushback from politicians, workers, and the Veteran community has already begun. Vets should prepare for delays in benefits, regardless of the type, the threat of unemployment, and fewer services as VA layoffs could stifle access in the coming months.
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