Bill would protect veterans, military spouses, and VA employees targeted in DOGE’s cuts
WASHINGTON – In response to President Donald Trump’s mass terminations of federal veteran employees and attempts to slash Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care and benefits, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced the Putting Veterans First Act —comprehensive legislation to protect veterans, military spouses, and VA employees indiscriminately targeted in the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts at VA and across the federal government.
Thursday, Senators Gallego, Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), hosted a press conference on the importance of this legislation.
“The Trump Administration needs to step up and stop attacking veterans,” said Senator Gallego. “Not only are they firing veterans in droves, but they’re also cutting VA programs and staffers. That’s why I’m supporting this bill to put a stop to these reckless firings, protect veterans’ private information from DOGE, and ensure the VA can’t be dismantled in secret.”
Watch Senator Gallego’s full remarks HERE.
“The Putting Veterans First Act is a call to action at a moment of crisis for veterans. VA’s system of health care and benefits has been disastrously and disgracefully put on the chopping block by Elon Musk and Donald Trump,” said Senator Blumenthal.“Their heartless and heartbreaking cuts, freezes, firings, and other malign directives will destroy lives and livelihoods if unchecked. That’s why we are introducing comprehensive legislation to ensure our government reverses course and puts veterans first—not tax cuts for billionaires. Veterans and their families have willingly sacrificed everything for this country, and they deserve a government that treats them with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
“At a time when the VA is already understaffed, Elon Musk and Donald Trump want to dismember the department by laying off 83,000 employees. They have already fired 2,500 VA employees as well as an estimated 6,000 veterans across the entire federal workforce, and more layoffs are likely to come if we don’t take a stand,” said Senator Sanders. “Veterans put their lives on the line for this country. We must do everything in our power to ensure they receive the benefits and care they earned. That is why today, along with Senator Blumenthal, I am introducing legislation that would reverse these disastrous layoffs and rehire the fired VA workers and veterans at other federal agencies. We must keep our commitments to the more than 18 million veterans who risked their lives to defend our country — not betray them.”
The Putting Veterans First Act would:
- Reinstate all fired veterans, military spouses, survivors, caregivers and members of the Guard and Reserve immediately with full back pay and benefits;
- Prevent that same group from being included in future mass terminations and provide them additional due process protections;
- Determine the financial impact of DOGE’s reckless cancellation of contracts providing critical care and services to veterans;
- Prohibit DOGE from accessing veterans’ private data;
- Require VA to certify to Congress that for each removal of an employee from the Department under Reduction in Force efforts, the move will not impact delivery of care or benefits of veterans. This provision was drafted in direct response to VA’s disastrous plan to cut more than 80,000 employees, leaked in a damning internal memo last week—which VA Secretary Collins continues to claim will have no impact on care and benefits, despite providing no evidence to support his claims; and
- Provide critical mental health care for former and current civil servants.
Read the full bill HERE.
3/15/25