80,000 VA Staffers Are on DOGE’s Chopping Block

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ASHINGTON — According to an internal memorandum acquired by The Associated Press, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is gearing up for a significant reorganization that includes plans to eliminate over 80,000 positions within the extensive agency responsible for providing healthcare to former military personnel.

Christopher Syrek, the VA’s chief of staff, informed senior officials during a meeting on Tuesday that the agency aims to reduce its workforce to the size it was in 2019, which was just under 400,000 employees. Achieving this goal would necessitate the termination of tens of thousands of staff, a consequence of the VA’s expansion during the Biden administration and the need to support veterans affected by burn pits, as outlined in the 2022 PACT Act.

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The memo directs high-ranking staff to prepare for a comprehensive reorganization of the agency slated for August, aimed at “resizing and aligning the workforce with the agency’s mission and updated structure.” It also urges agency officials to collaborate with the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency to “act decisively while maintaining a pragmatic and disciplined approach” to the objectives set during the Trump administration. Government Executive was the first to report on this internal memo.

Numerous veterans have already expressed their concerns regarding the ongoing cuts at the VA, which have already impacted thousands of employees and numerous contracts. Notably, over 25% of the VA’s workforce consists of veterans themselves.

The developments at the VA illustrate how the Trump administration’s DOGE initiative, spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk, is aggressively pursuing significant reductions in federal agencies, including those that have historically received bipartisan support.

Michael Missal, who served as the VA’s inspector general for nine years before being dismissed last month as part of Trump’s broader purge of independent oversight officials, shared with the AP that the VA is already grappling with a deficiency in “expertise” as senior personnel depart or are reassigned under the president’s directives.

“The reality is that the VA will not be able to perform at its best for veterans, ultimately causing harm to those it serves,” remarked Missal, who attended Trump’s address to Congress as a guest of Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

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Rather than leveraging the missions of inspectors general, whose role is to identify waste and fraud within government agencies, Trump has taken a strong stance against them, disregarding laws that necessitate a 30-day notice and specific justifications for their dismissals. Missal is currently contesting his termination in court alongside seven other dismissed inspectors general.

Missal characterized the VA as “a complex and challenging organization” that rivals some of the largest corporations in the United States in terms of size. He defended his efforts during his tenure to enhance the agency’s efficiency and responsiveness to veterans, citing that the oversight by the VA inspector general led to savings of $45 billion during his time there.

However, he expressed concern that Trump’s actions against inspectors general are hindering the ability of those remaining in those positions to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

In Congress, Democratic representatives have condemned the cuts at the VA and other agencies, while Republicans have so far approached the Trump administration’s changes with caution.

Blumenthal, who leads the Senate committee overseeing veterans’ affairs, stated that the Trump administration “has launched a full-scale offensive” against the progress the VA has made in expanding services as the number of veterans covered continues to rise, particularly those affected by toxic burn pits.