Confusion over VA worker dismissals irks advocates, lawmakers

One week after Veterans Affairs leaders announced the dismissal of 1,000 probationary department staffers, lawmakers and veterans groups are still struggling to understand which workers have been let go and whether more firings are coming soon.

“There is an almost total lack of transparency and communication here,” said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, in a call with reporters Thursday. “I don’t know who’s in charge of these firings. I don’t know whether it’s the Department of Government Efficiency, or the White House, or who.”

On Feb. 13, in a late-night statement, VA officials said the 1,000 workers dismissed were part of “a government-wide Trump administration effort to make agencies more efficient, effective and responsive to the American people.”

They noted that workers in “mission-critical positions” and those belonging to federal unions were exempted from the job cuts, but have declined to provide specifics on the types of posts targeted in the staffing actions.

In a statement, VA Secretary Doug Collins said the moves “will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries” and promised the potential savings — estimated at around $98 million annually — will be reinvested in department services and benefits.

In a separate move, VA last month announced that 60 staffers tasked with diversity, equity and inclusion jobs were placed on administrative leave as offices focused on those efforts were terminated.

Over the last few days, union officials and Democratic lawmakers have said they have not received any response to inquiries about exactly which individuals lost jobs, what appeal options exist for dismissed individuals and how offices are coping with the staff changes.

In a press call Wednesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said she heard from at least two workers at the Veterans Crisis Line — which handles emergency calls from suicidal veterans — who were dismissed in the probationary purge. They were later told they might be reinstated, although the senator could not confirm whether that happened.

“Why were these jobs ever even threatened in the first place?” Duckworth said. “These are jobs in service of our veterans, some of them the ones who are most in crisis.”

In a statement, a VA spokesperson said no Veterans Crisis Line responders were laid off, but did not answer questions about support staffers in the office. They also did not provide any further clarity on which offices were involved in the dismissals.

“VA continues to take multiple steps to ensure all mission-critical positions are exempt from the federal hiring freeze and layoffs, and make sure VA benefits and services are not affected,” the statement said. “VA leaders can request that employees be exempted from probationary removal.”

VA officials have not said how many of the approximately 75,000 federal workers who accepted buyouts last week were department employees.

King said he estimates that between the probationary worker layoffs, those buyouts and a broader federal hiring freeze, VA could be down as many as 4,000 workers in the last few weeks, about 1% of the total department workforce. But he also acknowledged that without firm numbers from VA, the scope of the impact of recent moves remains unclear.

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., blamed Collins for the firings and the lack of transparency at the department. Just 16 days ago, Blumenthal voted in favor of confirming Collins in the top VA leadership post.

“Voting to confirm him was a mistake, and I apologize to the veterans of the country,” Blumenthal told reporters Wednesday. “He has betrayed the promises that he made to me during his confirmation hearing.”

During a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, Republican lawmakers largely dismissed their Democratic colleagues’ concerns, calling the federal worker actions disruptive but not necessarily damaging.

VA officials declined press questions on whether veterans or military spouses are being given exemptions or preferential treatment in the staffing decisions. About one-third of federal employees are veterans.

Last week, in a message to membership, leaders at the Veterans of Foreign Wars acknowledged concerns in the veterans community over the numerous executive branch moves. They noted that no services or benefits have been cut yet, but they are closely monitoring the situation.

VA officials also did not respond to questions about future staff reductions, which have been rumored throughout the week in department offices and on Capitol Hill.