Blumenthal, Committee Democrats Ring Alarm, Demand Immediate Answers on Collins' Disastrous Plan to Cut 83,000 Jobs at VA

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and every Democratic Committee member teamed up with House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and numerous House Democratic Committee members today to write to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins demanding immediate answers regarding the disastrous impact of the Trump Administration’s plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees this year—including at least 20,000 veterans. This plan to slash VA’s workforce to fiscal year 2019 levels was detailed in an internal memo that was leaked earlier this week.

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Democratic members expressed their extreme concern with the impact this massive reduction in force plan will have on veterans—despite Collins’ unsupported claims that scaling back VA’s workforce by at least 15% will have no impact on VA care or benefits: “This planned [Reduction in Force] and [Reorganization Plan], coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency; its workforce; and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves… You have promised on several occasions that any reductions in the VA workforce will not impact delivery of care and benefits to veterans. It defies logic and reason that the agency could cut an additional  83,000 employees, beyond the 2,400 or more you have already terminated, without healthcare and benefits being interrupted.”

The Committee members emphasized the harm in reducing VA’s workforce back to pre-PACT Act levels: “Congress passed the Honoring Our PACT Act in 2022, which authorized the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in decades. Millions of veterans either became newly eligible for VA benefits or saw their benefits increase due to authorities in the PACT Act. To meet the growth in demand and to deliver the care and benefits veterans earned, Congress included provisions in the legislation that allowed VA to grow its workforce across the system…These new hires made the Department more efficient and productive, and the reduction in claims processing turnaround can be directly attributed to the growth in the workforce. Returning to pre-PACT levels explicitly goes against Congressional intent.”

The Senators concluded their letter by demanding immediate answers to a series of questions and requests for documentation, including:

• A full and unredacted copy of the memo leaked this week including attachments referenced;
• Full and unredacted copies of the information gathered and submitted by Administrations and Staff Offices that is due by March 10, 2025, as referenced in the memo;
• The names, jobs titles, job duties, and onboarding dates of the “DOGE leads” and “VA liaisons to DOGE” referenced in the memo;
• A detailed list of VA Administration and Staff Office personnel who will be detailed to support the Reduction in Force and Reorganization Plan efforts referenced in the memo;
• A detailed timeline of the proposed Reduction in Force and Reorganization Plan;
• A list of the designated senior leaders who will serve as central points of contact for time sensitive issues designated by Administration and Staff Offices as referenced in the memo;
• What future objectives related to any RIFs or adjustments to VA staffing levels are being contemplated or planned; and
• To confirm the exact data and goals the Secretary is referencing to implement these plans. 

The letter was sent by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Blumenthal, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Takano, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Elisa Slotkin (D-MI), and Democratic members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

The full text of the Committee Democrats’ letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Collins:

We write to express our extreme concern regarding reports that through Agency Reductions in Force (RIF) and Reorganization Plan (ARRP), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to cut its staff by an estimated 83,000 employees by the end of this fiscal year. VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek stated in a March 4, 2025, memorandum to key VA officials that the “initial objective” at the agency will be to reduce the VA workforce to end of fiscal year 2019 levels. This planned RIF and ARRP, coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency; its workforce; and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves.

Congress passed the Honoring Our PACT Act in 2022, which authorized the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in decades. Millions of veterans either became newly eligible for VA benefits or saw their benefits increase due to authorities in the PACT Act. To meet the growth in demand and to deliver the care and benefits veterans earned, Congress included provisions in the legislation that allowed VA to grow its workforce across the system. Those new hires were not limited to clinicians who provide direct care. Claims processors, benefits counselors, IT professionals, and essential support staff were also onboarded to ensure veterans could access their earned disability compensation and programs like the G.I. Bill and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E). These new hires made the Department more efficient and productive, and the reduction in claims processing turnaround can be directly attributed to the growth in the workforce. Returning to pre-PACT levels explicitly goes against Congressional intent.

You have promised on several occasions that any reductions in the VA workforce will not impact delivery of care and benefits to veterans. It defies logic and reason that the agency could cut an additional 83,000 employees, beyond the 2,400 or more you have already terminated, without healthcare and benefits being interrupted. To that end and due to the urgency of this matter, we request answers to the following questions by March 14, 2025. We also request our staff be briefed on these RIF and ARRP plans by March 12, 2025. 

1. Please provide a full and unredacted copy of the March 4, 2025, memorandum from the VA Chief of Staff to key Administration officials, “Department of Veterans Affairs Agency Reduction in Force (RIF) and Reorganization Plan (ARRP)” including “Attachment 1”. 
2. Please provide full and unredacted copies of the information gathered and submitted by Administrations and Staff Offices that is due by March 10, 2025, as referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum related to the proposed RIF and ARRP. 
3. Please provide the names, jobs titles, job duties, and onboarding dates of the “DOGE leads” and “VA liaisons to DOGE” referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
4. Please provide a detailed list of VA Administration and Staff Office personnel who will be detailed to support the RIF and ARRP efforts, as referenced in the March 4, 2025, memorandum. Please include the following data: name, occupation, job description, work experience, job location, and other relevant information. 
5. Please provide a detailed timeline of the proposed RIF and ARRP plans, including all due dates for information from VA Administrations and Staff Offices and dates on which each step in the RIF and ARRP plan will be executed. 
6. Please provide a list of the designated senior leaders who will serve as central points of contact for time sensitive issues designated by Administration and Staff Offices as referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
7. Please provide a list of Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, other Key Officials, Senior Advisors, DOGE liaisons, and any other personnel who will serve on the Executive Review Group (ERG) referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
8. Please provide a list of participants and a detailed summary of the initial senior level meeting chaired by the Secretary that is planned for March 5, 2025 as referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
9. In the March 4, 2025 memorandum, the VA Chief of Staff states, “...the Department’s initial objective is to return to 2019 end-strength numbers of 399, 957 employees.” What future objectives related to any RIFs or adjustments to VA staffing levels are being contemplated or planned? 

10. In the March 4, 2025 memorandum, the Chief of Staff refers to 2019 numbers as 399,957 employees, but according to data reported as required by Section 505 of Public Law 115-82, the MISSION Act, the Department’s numbers were below that level until 2020. Please confirm the exact data and goals you’ll be referencing as you implement these plans. 

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