The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to cut more than 80,000 staffers by later this year, according to an internal memo obtained by Scripps News.
The memo, sent from VA chief of staff Christopher Syrek, directed the agency to prepare for cuts that would slim the VA's total workforce down to less than 400,000. The cuts would "resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure," Syrek wrote.
The VA will have its plan in place and ready to execute by June of this year, the memo directs.
The days of kicking the can down the road are over. We owe America’s Veterans solutions! pic.twitter.com/KDHMefOWOH
— VA Secretary Doug Collins (@SecVetAffairs) March 5, 2025
The cuts would come in accordance with the executive order that directs a widespread reduction in the federal workforce, as overseen by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Under the order, agencies going forward will also be required, whether by dismissal or departure, to reduce job counts by four for every one new position hired.
Some savings from the job cuts would be reinvested in VA operations, according to the memo.
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The department served more veterans than ever in 2024, according to its records. It enrolled more than nine million veterans in its programs, and a quarter of its workforce has previously served in the armed forces.
Now, veterans and some lawmakers have indicated unease with the pace of changes at the agency.
"They’re going to put guys like me and my fellow Marines that rely on the VA in the ground," said Gregg Bafundo, 53, who served during the first Gulf War.
"I have questions about the impact these reductions and discussions could have on the delivery of services," said Rep. Mike Bost, the Republican chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, warned that Congress should have been consulted before plans for cuts were announced.
“Maybe you’ve got a good reason to do it,” he said. “But we don’t need to be reading memos in the paper about a 20% cut at the VA.”
