Senators’ comprehensive Putting Veterans First Act would protect veterans, military spouses, and VA employees targeted in DOGE’s cuts
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In response to President Donald Trump’s mass terminations of federal veteran employees and egregious attempts to slash Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care and benefits, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a group of his colleagues today in introducing 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.
The Putting Veterans First Act is also co-sponsored by former Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
“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 Ranking Member 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.”
“If Donald Trump really cared about our nation’s heroes, he wouldn’t be firing more Veterans than any other President in modern history, slashing our VA workforce and jeopardizing the care and benefits earned by those actually brave enough to serve,” said Senator Duckworth. “After everything Veterans have sacrificed, it’s a stunningly cruel betrayal by the President to let Elon Musk inflict so much needless pain on their lives and livelihoods—all to carve out billionaire tax breaks that would make the richest in America even richer. Our legislation would help rectify the damage already done to our Veterans and bring an end to this chaos. Donald Trump never has our Veterans’ backs, but Democrats always will.”
“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.”
“President Trump has fired more veterans in his first few weeks in office than any U.S. President. This is unacceptable. These men and women have made tremendous sacrifices in service to our nation, and now they are being kicked to the curb by a President who has previously called servicemembers and veterans losers and suckers,” said Senator Kaine. “Every single one of my colleagues should stand in solidarity with our veterans, their families, and the hardworking Americans who deliver services they need, by supporting this legislation to protect veterans, military spouses, and VA employees from the Trump Administration’s mass, indiscriminate firings.”
“It’s outrageous that Donald Trump and Elon Musk recklessly fired veterans, and those who care for them, for absolutely no reason,” said Senator Rosen. “These selfless, hardworking men and women deserve respect and should’ve never been treated this way. That’s why I’m proud to help introduce this bill to reverse these terminations, grant full back pay and benefits, and protect our veterans and those who provide them with the care they deserve.”
“Veterans have spent years of their lives risking everything to protect American freedoms, but the Trump administration has decided to thank them for their service with mass firings,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Our veterans and their families deserve our respect, and this legislation would rehire veterans illegally fired by President Trump and Elon Musk, while ensuring they are protected from further reckless, chaotic terminations.”
“President Trump and Elon Musk are taking a wrecking ball to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of veterans and military spouses, turning their backs on VA employees who have given everything for our country,” said Senator Padilla. “These cold-hearted, indiscriminate cuts must be immediately reversed and can never happen again. Our legislation reaffirms our commitment to ensuring quality VA care, protecting employment for veterans, and safeguarding their data and benefits.”
“Donald Trump’s unlawful actions against the federal workforce are devastating to veterans, caregivers, servicemembers and their families, who serve in the federal government at a disproportionately high rate and rely on the federal government for support they’ve earned,” said Senator Hirono. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to take a first step toward correcting these disastrous firings and protecting the federal programs and services our veterans, servicemembers, and their loved ones rely on.”
“Veterans who stepped up to serve their country again shouldn’t lose their jobs because of reckless government cuts,” said Senator Kelly. “Cutting jobs and gutting the VA’s workforce threatens their care and benefits. We need to stop these reckless cuts, protect veterans and their families, and make sure they get the jobs, support, and respect they’ve earned.”
Among its many provisions, the Putting Veterans First Act would:
REINSTATE AND PROTECT MEMBERS OF THE VETERAN AND MILITARY COMMUNITY WORKING AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES NDSCRIMINATLEY FIRED BY DOGE
PROTECT THE QUALITY OF VA CARE, BENEFITS, AND EMPLOYMENT
INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT OF VA STAFFING, CLAIMS BACKLOG, AND WAIT TIMES DATA
PROTECT VETERANS’ PRIVATE DATA FROM DOGE AND UNELECTED BILLIONARIES
DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DOGE’S RECKLESS CANCELLATION OF CONTRACTS AT VA
PROVIDE CRITICAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR FORMER AND CURRENT CIVIL SERVANTS
PROVIDE EMPLOYEMENT ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE VETERAN AND MILITARY COMMUNITY FIRED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TRUMP’S MASS TERMINATIONS
A link to the bill text and section by section can be found HERE and HERE.
Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, with approximately 640,000 veterans working in federal agencies. For decades, Administrations of both parties have made hiring veterans and military spouses to work in the federal government a priority—including President Trump’s previous Administration. Last week, an internal memo leaked the Trump Administration’s plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees, which would include at least 20,000 veterans, who make up 25% of VA’s workforce.
The Trump Administration’s mass terminations have already led to the unprecedented firing of more than an estimated 6,000 veterans. The Administration has refused to provide Congress with information detailing the exact number of veterans fired. In addition, many of these terminated employees had exemplary performance records and multiple years of work experience in government service.
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