VA Workforce Slashed by 40,000 Amid Healthcare Crisis

The Department of Veterans Affairs is facing a critical juncture. A new report from Senate Democrats reveals the agency has undergone a dramatic workforce reduction, losing over 40,000 employees in fiscal year 2025. This marks the department's first net workforce decline in years.

The report, issued by the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Democrats, argues that this sweeping overhaul has significantly weakened the VA's ability to deliver essential healthcare to the nation's veterans. The cuts come at a time when veteran demand for services remains high, with the VA overseeing more than 127.5 million healthcare appointments in 2024.

The workforce hemorrhage was driven by a series of policy changes, including a federal hiring freeze, firings of probationary employees, and deferred resignation and early retirement programs. The report attributes these changes to the DOGE-driven cuts implemented last year. New staffing caps also limited the department's ability to backfill vacancies.

According to the report, the impact was concentrated in clinical roles. Nearly 90% of the workforce losses came from healthcare positions, including physicians, nurses, mental health providers, and appointment schedulers. Early plans had targeted over 80,000 jobs for reduction.

In a typical year, VA's workforce gains a net of at least 10,000 employees. Under the first year of Trump, Collins, and Musk, the workforce has experienced a net loss three times that number.

The report specifically names Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, in connection with the changes.

The reduction in staff has had tangible effects on care delivery. Veterans report that appointments are often canceled or rebooked with little notice. The system had worked to decrease wait times after years of criticism, but those gains are now at risk.

Mental health care has been particularly affected. Wait times for new mental health appointments currently average 35 days nationally, and in many states, they exceed 40 days—more than double the VA's threshold. At one VA outpatient clinic in California, seven of twelve mental health providers left the department, citing return-to-office mandates. This resulted in wait times for new patients at that facility reaching more than 120 days.

• Facility closures
• Canceled therapy programs
• New limits on one-on-one mental health sessions

One veteran from Maryland stated, "Appointments are often canceled or rebooked with little to no notice." Another veteran emphasized the need for more investment, saying, "We desperately need more investment in the VA. Too many people depend on it here."

Beyond staffing, the report highlights the cancellation of nearly 16,000 VA contracts. These contracts supported a wide range of services, including radiology, disability exams, and suicide prevention programs. The report alleges that the VA overstated the financial savings from these cancellations and has failed to provide Congress with a full accounting.

The impact extended to research and clinical trials. Due to the hiring freeze, essential researchers whose terms were ending were unable to have their positions backfilled. The report states this forced them to abandon lifesaving work.

These actions directly damaged veterans' access to cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials, including cancer trials.

This loss of research capacity comes at a critical time, as the VA had previously managed to build trust, with veterans' trust exceeding 80% in 2024—a marked increase from just 25% in 2016.

VA leadership has previously stated that staffing and contract changes are intended to improve efficiency and accountability. They have disputed claims that care has been harmed. The report counters these assertions, arguing the changes reflect a shift away from capacity-building while demand remains high.

When asked for comment on the report's findings, VA spokesman Peter Kasperowicz called it "political theater." He pointed to 16 VA press releases detailing improvements for veterans under President Donald Trump. These improvements include:

• Opening new clinics
• A decrease in benefit backlogs
• Terminating employee union contracts
• Ending DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives

The report paints a picture of a healthcare system under significant pressure, with veterans caught in the middle of policy shifts and workforce reductions. The loss of over 40,000 staff members represents a major shift in the department's operational capacity.

As the debate continues between lawmakers and agency officials, the focus remains on the veterans who rely on these services. The long-term effects of these cuts on patient outcomes and system stability will likely be a key issue for the department moving forward.