Trump admin to cut 80,000 Veterans Affairs jobs, Dems call it a ‘shameful betrayal’

The Department of

Veterans

Affairs (VA) is planning a large-scale restructuring, which includes cutting more than 80,000 jobs, according to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press.
The plan, set for implementation in August, aims to bring the agency’s workforce back to 2019 levels.
Christopher Syrek, the VA’s chief of staff, instructed agency officials to prepare for the changes, saying that the reorganisation will “resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.”
The initiative is part of a broader government downsizing effort led by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins defended the move and said, “This administration is finally going to give veterans what they want. President

Trump

has a mandate for generational change in Washington, and that’s exactly what we’re going to deliver at the VA.” He assured that the cuts would not impact healthcare or benefits, but many veterans remain skeptical.
The VA, which serves over 9 million veterans, has been growing in recent years due to expansions under the Biden administration and the 2022 PACT Act, which provides healthcare to those affected by toxic burn pits.
The plan has sparked strong reactions in Congress. Republican lawmakers have expressed concern over the lack of communication from the VA, with Senator

Lindsey Graham

calling it “political malpractice not to consult Congress.” Democratic leaders, including Senator

Richard Blumenthal

, have condemned the move as a betrayal of veterans, arguing that it prioritises cost-cutting over essential services.