VA changes are in the news

#Middlebury #Veterans #VAEmployees

So much is going on right now. With the new administration making many changes on a daily basis across the federal government, some of those changes were sure to affect the Department of Veterans Affairs. Here is one thing that has happened: The VA let go 1,000 employees.

For the most part they were probationary employees (deemed non-mission critical) with less than one year on the job or those in another employment category who had worked for less than two years. This 1,000 is out of the 43,000 probationary employees they didn’t fire because they were mission critical and out of a total of 473,000 employees at the VA.

One year ago, the VA had planned to reduce their numbers by 10,000 employees in 2025. Then there are the many thousands who took the deferred resignation offer, which will allow them to stay home and still be paid through September. So the 1,000 fewer employees isn’t a massive number. The financial bottom line from this recent move is that $98 million was saved, money that will be plowed back into services and benefits for veterans, per Secretary Doug Collins.

While this move was effective immediately, there is a catch: Management can ask that certain employees not be terminated to ensure that the work can go on, that benefits and services aren’t effected. Rumor has it that some of the employees who were let go had handled the phones at the suicide crisis line. A senator stepped in and asked that two of the employees be reinstated.

While it might be a bit unnerving to see cuts at the VA for the benefits and services we depend on, I say we should just wait it out and not let panic set in. We have a new VA secretary, and for now we should trust him to fight for what’s right for us, despite all the loud naysayers who excel at stirring up anxiety. I think it will all be OK.

Editor’s note: The Associated Press reported on March 5 that 80,000 jobs will be cut from The Department of Veterans Affairs.

© 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.