The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs dismissed over 1,000 employees on Thursday as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to reduce the size of the federal government and decrease government spending.
In a Thursday press release, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it was dismissing over 1,000 employees and would be “refocusing on its core mission” of providing “the best possible care and benefits” to U.S. veterans, as well as the families, caregivers, and survivors of veterans.
The Department of Veterans Affairs wrote, “The personnel moves will save the department more than $98 million per year, and VA will redirect all of those resources back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries.”
According to Thursday’s press release, the employees dismissed by the Department of Veterans Affairs include probationary employees who worked for less than a year in competitive service appointments or less than two years in excepted service appointments.
The Department of Veterans Affairs noted that there are over 43,000 probationary employees currently working for the agency and that the “vast majority” were exempted from Thursday’s dismissals due to the employees serving in “mission-critical positions.” The department also announced that the employees who participated in the Office of Personnel Management’s “deferred resignation program” were exempted from the mass dismissals.
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Thursday’s press release explained that the decision to reduce the number of personnel employed by the agency was “part of a government-wide Trump Administration effort to make agencies more efficient, effective and responsive to the American People.”
Addressing the dismissal of over 1,000 employees, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins said, “At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on Veteran care. We thank these employees for their service to VA. This was a tough decision, but ultimately it’s the right call to better support the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve.”
Collins explained that the Trump administration’s decision to reduce the number of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs “will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries.” The secretary added that the department will be announcing future plans to use the resources saved by reducing the size of its workforce to help veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.