WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is cutting more than 1,400 employees in another round of dismissals since the start of the Trump administration.
The firings were in what the department called “non-mission critical positions.”
The dismissals, announced Monday evening and part of the White House cost-cutting efforts, follow a first round of 1,000 VA layoffs announced Feb.13.
Those let go are probationary employees who’ve served less than two years and could include “DEI-related positions,” according to the VA announcement.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the ranking member of the Senate VA committee, said Tuesday the dismissals will damage the VA’s ability to recruit and retain doctors and nurses.
Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, called on Republicans to help push back against the cuts.
“These and other recent personnel decisions are extraordinarily difficult, but VA is focused on allocating its resources to help as many Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors as possible,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “These moves will not hurt VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In fact, Veterans are going to notice a change for the better. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping the department fulfill its core mission: providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.”
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Arizona Democrat, accused the Trump administration of “laying off VA staff in the middle of the night.”
Fired VA cybersecurity leader warns of potential for compromised data
Actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency could cause sensitive Veterans Affairs financial and health data to be compromised, warned Jonathan Kamens, who used to lead cybersecurity for the VA’s flagship website.
“Given how the government has been functioning for the last month, I don’t think the people at VA … are going to be able to replace me,” Kamens told The Associated Press. “The security posture of the site is going to degrade. And eventually I think there will be a security incident resulting from the lack of adequate security oversight.”
Kamens oversaw cybersecurity for VA.gov and was fired this month. He said he’s concerned DOGE could start “digging around inside private VA databases that contain people’s private information.”
“I don’t think they should have access,” Kamens said. “These are people who have never been background-checked.”