Fund cut-offs and personnel layoffs inside the VA could have devastating consequences for veterans, their families, and VA employees
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced in March 2025 that it plans to cut more than 80,000 jobs, around 17 percent of its employment, by August 2025. The major restructuring plan is to meet President Trump’s executive order to downsize the Federal workforce. The mass firing disproportionately affects veterans, who comprise more than 30 percent of the Federal employees. Most veterans work for the VA and the Department of Defense (DoD).
The President’s plan would not only leave hundreds of thousands of veterans without a job, but it would also jeopardize the VA’s ability to deliver its comprehensive services to the country’s veterans. Among many such services, the VA provides healthcare, housing options, life insurance, pensions, and education stipends. The Veterans Health Administration is an essential service within the VA, and it employs 90 percent of the VA’s workforce. Cuts to the Veterans’ Health Administration workforce mean placing veterans’ health care services and disability benefits management into an extremely precarious situation.
Veterans’ health care crises due to toxic exposure necessitate better health services.s
Since the 1940s, military personnel have been exposed to toxic chemicals while on duty, without their knowledge or consent. These toxic chemicals were present at military bases, aboard navy ships, at aircraft hangars, in combat zones, and even in the drinking water and groundwater at US military bases. Exposure to toxic substances like Agent Orange, industrial solvents, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and asbestos was rampant across all the branches of the US military. Whether stationed at military bases or deployed in remote locations, toxic chemicals were present in the air, soil, landfills, and water supplies, putting our nation’s heroes at risk.
The health impacts of these exposures have led to a significant crisis within the veteran community. Many of these cancer-causing substances bioaccumulate in the body over time, with no immediate symptoms. The diseases caused by these toxins often manifest only at later stages, when treatment options are limited and the chances of survival are much lower. Veterans who served in all areas of the military—on land, at sea, and in the air—are now facing the long-term consequences of this exposure. The time has come to hold the government accountable for the harm caused and provide our veterans the care and recognition they deserve.
What could happen next?
A 2023 Government report highlights that staff shortages affecting the VA’s work have already led to long waiting times for health checks and prolonged disability benefit claim assessments. Lengthy and complicated bureaucratic processes can lead to even more health risks, especially in the case of those veterans living with cancer.
With malignancies such as mesothelioma or lung cancer, veterans’ only chance for survival or prolonged life expectancy is through early diagnosis and appropriate personalized treatment. According to medical reports, about 30 percent of all mesothelioma patients in the US are veterans. Unfortunately, the VA is not properly equipped and staffed to provide the appropriate and comprehensive cancer screening, testing, and treatment to the constantly growing number of veterans needing it. For example, in 2022, the VA reported that each year, more than 43,000 veterans are diagnosed with cancer, and more than 450,000 veterans are receiving cancer care at a VA hospital.
In 2022, the Senate passed the PACT Act, a landmark legislation that extended the list of toxic exposures and related health conditions, making them presumptive. By this, the VA simplified the claims procedure, enabling many more veterans to receive what is rightfully theirs: since 2022, more than 1.4 million veterans have been approved for benefits nationwide.
In 2024, the VA reported working hard to achieve its full staffing capacity to meet the increased demand. Only one year later, the Agency faces the loss of more than 80,000 jobs. These cuts come at a time when the opposite would be necessary. As a response to the situation, Congressman Derek Tran introduced the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, which seeks to reinstate veterans who were terminated from federal employment without cause since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s term. Additionally, the bill mandates that federal agencies report to Congress quarterly, detailing the number of veterans dismissed and providing justifications for such actions. The initiative is plausible but needs substantial support to be voted on as law. We ask our policymakers and lawmakers to carefully consider the harmful consequences such a disastrous personnel and funds cut-off could have on our veterans’ lives and the VA’s functioning.
Cristina Johnson is a Navy veteran advocate for the Asbestos Ships Organization, a nonprofit educating veterans about the risks of asbestos exposure on Navy ships.