2025: In The Wake Of DOGE Firing Thousands Of Staff At The Department Of Veterans Affairs, Greg Murphy Said He Could Not Guarantee That Veterans’ Benefits And Care Would Not Be Affected

February 2025: The Department Of Veterans Affairs Laid Off Thousands Of Staff Members As Part Of Elon Musk’s DOGE Effort

February 15, 2025: The Department Of Veterans Affairs Laid Off More Than 1,000 Staff Members. “The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has confirmed that more than 1,000 staff members have been let go as part of President Donald Trump's wide-ranging purge of federal bureaucracy, prompting concern that benefits could be impacted by lower staffing levels.” [Newsweek, 2/15/25]

February 26, 2025: The Department Of Veterans Affairs Fired 1,400 Staff. “The Department of Veterans Affairs has fired 1,400 staff after its first round of layoff terminated 1,000 employees on February 13, sparking anger from lawmakers. […] The Trump administration's effort to cut jobs is part of a broader push to reshape the federal workforce, driven by Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk's schemes to downsize the government.” [Newsweek, 2/26/25]

• Newsweek Headline: “VA Job Cuts Spark Anger: ‘Putting Veterans Last.’” [Newsweek, 2/26/25]

Elon Musk’s Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Initiated Mass Firings Of Government Workers. “Since taking office at the end of January, President Donald Trump has issued sweeping changes via executive orders and implemented the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with the stated goal of cutting waste and abuse from the federal government's budget. Billionaire Elon Musk was initially tasked with leading DOGE. Under Trump's guidance, Musk and DOGE have initiated mass firings of government workers and made numerous cuts to federal agencies, including dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).” [Newsweek, 3/3/25]

March 2025: When Asked If Veterans’ Benefits And Care Would Not Be Affected By Budget Cuts, Murphy Said, “No, I Can’t Guarantee Anything”

March 2025: When Asked If Veterans’ Benefits And Care Would Not Be Affected By Budget Cuts, Murphy Said, “No, I Can’t Guarantee Anything.” “During an interview with CNN's Brianna Keilar on Monday, Murphy was asked about budget cuts, as more than 1,000 staff members from the Department of Veterans Affairs were let go. Murphy is vice chair of Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health. Murphy was asked about what voters in his district think of the cuts. He replied in part by arguing that it was ‘a national emergency to try to get our finances under control.’ Keilar then asked if veterans' benefits and care will not be affected by the financial restructuring. Murphy responded, ‘No, I can't guarantee anything.’” [Newsweek, 3/3/25]

• Murphy: “One Out Of 10 Constituents Of Mine Are Veterans. It’s A Real Issue In Eastern North Carolina.” “‘But the whole purpose, again, of restructuring is to make sure that that agency is efficient,’ Murphy added. ‘And you know, look, I care for our veterans. One out of 10 constituents of mine are veterans. It's a real issue in eastern North Carolina.’ ‘The real issue is also when somebody can't get benefits, and they're put off their doctor's appointments for eight or 10 months when they can't get care,’ he continued. ‘That is where an agency has failed. We're trying to get an agency that actually works for the people that are supposed to be taken care of.’” [Newsweek, 3/3/25]