Blumenthal Statement on the Trump Administration's Recommendation to Fire All Recently-Hired VA Employees, Including VA Doctors and Nurses

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today released the following statement on the Trump Administration's call for agencies to fire all federal probationary employees. The advisement from Trump's Office of Personnel Management impacts recently hired Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees, and makes no mention of exemptions for VA doctors, nurses, and police-positions already facing shortages.

"Massive layoffs of VA employees - including nurses, doctors, and positions already facing critical shortages nationwide - is nothing more than an attempt to balance the budget on the back of veterans. It is reprehensible to target recently hired federal employees - particularly those who have chosen to serve veterans - solely because they have less due process rights and employment protections than other employees. Make no mistake - Trump is looking to fire probationary employees because it is easy, not because it is good for veterans or cost effective. In fact, it is a massive waste of taxpayer dollars to fire employees the Department just invested months into recruiting, vetting, and training. I call on VA Secretary Doug Collins to live up to the promise he made to put veterans first, and resist blanket layoffs for political purposes that will only continue to harm veterans alongside dangerous policies like Elon Musk's DOGE initiatives and Trump's hiring freeze."

The Trump Administration's harmful policies for VA employees and the veterans they serve include:

• President Trump's recently announced "'Department of Government Efficiency' Workforce Optimization Initiative," which requires allowing only one employee to be hired for every four that depart, signaling the intent to reduce the workforce by 75%.
• The Administration's continued VA hiring freeze on employees critical to delivering health care and benefits to veterans including housekeepers, benefits claims processors, food service workers, and peer support for veterans experiencing homelessness or mental health crises.
• Elon Musk's "Fork in the Road" 'buy out' offers forcing VA employees to choose between giving up their devotion to serving veterans or blind allegiance to the President.