Collins said in a video statement that the VA said “” and “.”Department-wide review Following President Trump's Government Efficiency (DOGE) Workforce Optimization Initiative, it adopts a “practical and disciplined approach to eliminating waste and bureaucracy” of its organization, operations and structure.
“Our goal is to reduce the VA employment level to 2019 from the current approximately 470,000 employees to approximately 398,000 employees strength and approximately 398,000 employees,” Collins said in the video. “It's in now 15% reduction. We intend to achieve this without reducing healthcare and benefits to veterans and VA beneficiaries. ”
Collins' statement comes after Associated Press reported an internal memo explaining its plans to cut 80,000 jobs. Reorganizing “Aggressive” This summer, the agency.
A memo sent by VA Christopher Silek's chief said an agency-wide reorganization will take place this August, and that it will instruct the highest level officials to “prepare.”Resize and adjust the workforce With missions and revised structures. ”
Syrek's memo reflects Collins' statement that agents plan to cut down sufficient employees Return to staffing level in 2019. In doing so, we need to cut tens of thousands of jobs in the VA created under the Biden administration.
It is in the department Already suffering a wave of labor cutsUnder Trump, 1,400 employees last Monday included a cut of x and 1,000 in February.
Collins defended the fire In his video statement Wednesday, “There are a lot of people complaining about the changes we made in the VA, but what most of them really say is, “Let's keep doing the same thing the VA has always done.” No, it doesn't happen. ”
The largest VA employee union, the United States Government Employee Federation (AFGE), has issued a statement Slams the layoff And they say that if the VA returns to staffing levels in 2019, they will no longer be able to meet Congressional will.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
