DOGE Cuts To The Department of Veterans Affairs Were Expected To Negatively Impact Care For Veterans – Who Made Up A Sizable Portion Of Jen Kiggans’ District

Kiggans’ District Had A Population That Was Composed Of 13.5% Veterans, Which Was About 1.5 Times The Statewide Rate And More Than Double The National Rate

Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District Had A Population That Was 13.5 Percent Composed Of Veterans, Which Was About 1.5 Times Higher Than The Rate In Virginia And More Than Double The Rate In The United States. [Census Reporter, accessed 10/21/25]

Image: see original report, p. 75

By July 2025, The VA Had Cut 17,000 Employees From The Department Which Impacted The Care Veterans Received

Reuters: “Between January And June, The [Department Of Veterans Affairs] Shed Nearly 17,000 Employees” And Expected “Nearly 12,000 Additional VA Employees To Exit” By September 30. “The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will make two-thirds fewer employee cuts this fiscal year than it first targeted, reducing staff by about 30,000 people rather than 80,000, the agency said on Monday. […] Between January and June, the agency shed nearly 17,000 employees and expects ‘nearly 12,000 additional VA employees to exit’ by September 30, the VA said.” [Reuters, 7/8/25]

In March 2025, The VA’s Planned Cuts Had “Raised Concerns In Virginia, Which Had One Of The Largest Veteran Populations And A Significant Federal Workforce”

Center Square: “Planned Cuts” At The Department Of Veterans Affairs Employees Had “Raised Concerns In Virginia, Which Has One Of The Largest Veteran Populations And A Significant Federal Workforce.” “Planned cuts to more than 80,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees under the Trump administration have raised concerns in Virginia, which has one of the largest veteran populations and a significant federal workforce. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but emphasized the government's role in serving people rather than providing employment. He assured that the department would continue to hire for more than 300,000 mission-critical positions to ensure that the health care and benefits of VA beneficiaries are not impacted.” [Center Square, 3/6/25]

• March 2025: Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Of Staff Christopher Syrek Sent Out A Memo Calling For An 80,000 Employee Reduction In Force At The VA To Comply With Trump's February DOGE Executive Order. “The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to fire more than 80,000 employees under a sweeping reorganization effort being planned to comply with President Donald Trump's orders to slash the federal government, according to an internal VA memo obtained by Military.com. In the memo, VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek said the department's ‘initial objective’ is to return to 2019 staffing levels of 399,957 employees or about 83,000 fewer employees than the VA has right now […] The ‘reduction in force,’ as the layoffs are formally called, is being planned as part of Trump's February executive order requiring agencies to work with Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and subsequent guidance from the White House offices in charge of budgets and personnel directing agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs.” [Military.com, 3/5/25]
• April 2025: The VA Secretary Directed A 15% Reduction Of VA Staff Nationwide In Compliance With Trump’s Push To Cut Spending. “And even as veterans lose their jobs at higher rates, President Donald

Trump’s cost-cutting push is squeezing the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is likely to impact access to medical care, disability payments, higher education and housing. The Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in central Phoenix has already lost workers under a directive from Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to reduce staff nationwide by 15%.” [Cronkite News, 4/7/25]

Cuts To The VA Made Providing Care And Services To The Millions Of Veterans In The Country Harder

Cuts To The VA Would Affect Medical Care For Veterans In Virginia And Across The Country, Including 400,000 Newly Enrolled Veterans

PBS News: The VA Enrolled Nearly “400,000 Veterans In Its Benefits System From March 2023 Through March 2024,” Which Was More Than Any Year Prior. “Cuts to the federal workforce are also affecting medical care for veterans. The Veterans Health Administration workforce constitutes 90 percent of the VA’s 482,000 workers, so cuts to VA workers mean cuts to health care. These cuts come at a time when veterans’ health care needs are increasing. The VA enrolled 400,000 veterans in its benefits system from March 2023 through March 2024, 30 percent more than the prior year. It also expanded eligibility for former service members to receive VA health care. Trump’s cuts will make it more difficult for the VA to provide health care for these newly eligible veterans.” [PBS News, 3/16/25]

• The 400,000 Veterans Enrolled Between March 2023 And March 2024 Were “30 Percent More Than The Prior Year.” “Cuts to the federal workforce are also affecting medical care for veterans. The Veterans Health Administration workforce constitutes 90 percent of the VA’s 482,000 workers, so cuts to VA workers mean cuts to health care. These cuts come at a time when veterans’ health care needs are increasing. The VA enrolled 400,000 veterans in its benefits system from March 2023 through March 2024, 30 percent more than the prior year. It also expanded eligibility for former service members to receive VA health care. Trump’s cuts will make it more difficult for the VA to provide health care for these newly eligible veterans.” [PBS News, 3/16/25]

PBS News: “Trump’s Cuts Will Make It More Difficult For The VA To Provide Health Care For These Newly Eligible Veterans.” “Cuts to the federal workforce are also affecting medical care for veterans. The Veterans Health Administration workforce constitutes 90 percent of the VA’s 482,000 workers, so cuts to VA workers mean cuts to health care. These cuts come at a time when veterans’ health care needs are increasing. The VA enrolled 400,000 veterans in its benefits system from March 2023 through March 2024, 30 percent more than the prior year. It also expanded eligibility for former service members to receive VA health care. Trump’s cuts will make it more difficult for the VA to provide health care for these newly eligible veterans.” [PBS News, 3/16/25]

PBS News: “The Veterans Health Administration Workforce Constitutes 90 Percent Of The VA’s 482,000 Workers, So Cuts To VA Workers Mean Cuts To Health Care.” “Cuts to the federal workforce are also affecting medical care for veterans. The Veterans Health Administration workforce constitutes 90 percent of the VA’s 482,000 workers, so cuts to VA workers mean cuts to health care. These cuts come at a time when veterans’ health care needs are increasing. The VA enrolled 400,000 veterans in its benefits system from March 2023 through March 2024, 30 percent more than the prior year. It also expanded eligibility for former service members to receive VA health care. Trump’s cuts will make it more difficult for the VA to provide health care for these newly eligible veterans.” [PBS News, 3/16/25]

DOGE Cuts Took Effect While VA Hospitals Suffered Severe Shortages With Veterans Potentially Losing Access To Life-Saving Cancer Trials, Treatment For Kidney Diseases, And Treatments For Traumatic Brain Injuries

In August 2025, The VA Reported That They Were Experiencing “Severe” Shortages Of Health Care Personnel At Nearly All Its Hospitals

The Guardian: “The US Department Of Veterans Affairs (VA) Is Experiencing ‘Severe’ Staff Shortages At All Its Hospitals, With The Number Of Shortages Increasing By 50% This Fiscal Year.” “The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is experiencing ‘severe’ staff shortages at all its hospitals, with the number of shortages increasing by 50% this fiscal year, according to a new report from the agency’s independent watchdog. The report, released on Tuesday, came a day after the Guardian revealed the department had lost thousands of healthcare professionals deemed ‘core’ to the system under Donald Trump, without which, the agency said, ‘mission-critical work cannot be completed’. The inspector general found 94% of VA facilities faced a ‘severe’ shortage of doctors, while 79% faced a severe shortage of nurses. Psychology was ‘the most frequently reported clinical occupational staffing shortage.’” [The Guardian, 8/13/25]

The Guardian: The VA “Inspector General Found 94% Of VA Facilities Faced A ‘Severe’ Shortage Of Doctors, While 79% Faced A Severe Shortage Of Nurses.” “The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is experiencing ‘severe’ staff shortages at all its hospitals, with the number of shortages increasing by 50% this fiscal year, according to a new report from the agency’s independent watchdog. The report, released on Tuesday, came a day after the Guardian revealed the department had lost thousands of healthcare professionals deemed ‘core’ to the system under Donald Trump, without which, the agency said, ‘mission-critical work cannot be completed’. The inspector general found 94% of VA facilities faced a ‘severe’ shortage of doctors, while 79% faced a severe shortage of nurses. Psychology was ‘the most frequently reported clinical occupational staffing shortage.’” [The Guardian, 8/13/25]

The Guardian: The VA Lost “Thousands Of Healthcare Professionals Deemed ‘Core’ To The System’s Ability To Function.” “The Department of Veterans Affairs has lost thousands of healthcare professionals deemed ‘core’ to the system’s ability to function and ‘without which mission-critical work cannot be completed’, agency records show. The number of medical staff on hand to treat veterans has fallen every month since Donald Trump took office. The VA has experienced a net loss of 2,000 registered nurses since the start of this fiscal year, the data show, along with approximately 1,300 medical assistants, 1,100 nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses, 800 doctors, 500 social workers and 150 psychologists.” [The Guardian, 8/11/25]

Internal VA Emails Revealed How “More Than 1,000 Veterans Could Lose Access To Treatment For Diseases Ranging From Metastatic Head And Neck Cancers, To Kidney Disease, To Traumatic Brain Injuries”

ProPublica Headline: “Internal VA Emails Reveal How Trump Cuts Jeopardize Veterans’ Care, Including To ‘Life-Saving Cancer Trials.’” [ProPublica, 5/6/25]

ProPublica: Trump’s Cuts To The VA Could Lead To Veterans Losing “Access To Treatment For Diseases Ranging From Metastatic Head And Neck Cancers, To Kidney Disease, To Traumatic Brain Injuries.” “Earlier this year, doctors at Veterans Affairs hospitals in Pennsylvania sounded an alarm. Sweeping cuts imposed by the Trump administration, they told higher-ups in an email, were causing ‘severe and immediate impacts,’ including to ‘life-saving cancer trials.’ The email said more than 1,000 veterans would lose access to treatment for diseases ranging from metastatic head and neck cancers, to kidney disease, to traumatic brain injuries.” [ProPublica, 5/6/25]