WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Marine combat veteran and member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is pushing back against the Trump Administration’s mass layoffs of VA employees that threaten essential services for veterans.
The federal government is the nation’s largest employer of veterans, with nearly 30% of its workforce having served in uniform. Yet, the Trump Administration has already laid off more than 2,400 VA employees and plans to eliminate at least 80,000 more, nearly one-fifth of the VA. Many of these employees were hired to meet demand by veterans filing for benefits and health care as a result of the PACT Act. These cuts will slow access to critical services like benefits processing and health care, undermining America’s promise to take care of its veterans.
So this week, Senator Gallego took action to condemn the Trump Administration’s mass layoffs of VA employees and veterans:
He sent a letter to the Office of Personnel Management and cosponsored a resolution demanding the immediate reinstatement of wrongfully terminated veterans with full back pay and benefits.
Senate Republicans blocked it.
After an internal memo that was leaked regarding the disastrous impact of the Trump Administration’s plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees this year, Senator Gallego also joined Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Democrats in sending a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding answers.
This week, Senator Gallego also fought to protect the Veterans Crisis Line from staffing cuts that could jeopardize lifesaving mental health support for veterans in crisis and cosponsored the bipartisan Veterans Fraud Reimbursement Act to make it easier for disabled veterans who have been victims of fraud to get reimbursed.
These reckless layoffs come as the VA faces critical staffing shortages and increased demand for services like mental health care to reduce the veteran suicide rate. Many of the terminated employees had exemplary performance records and multiple years of experience in government service.
Senator Gallego will continue fighting to protect veterans’ benefits, strengthen VA services, and hold the Trump Administration accountable for its reckless cuts to the workforce that serves those who served.