The gutting of federal jobs continues under President Donald Trump’s administration. Reportedly, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning to cut over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care and other services for millions of veterans, according to an internal memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is a federal agency responsible for providing services and support to military veterans. Established in 1930, its mission is to ensure veterans receive necessary healthcare, benefits, and assistance after their service.
READ: Will Vivek Ramaswamy withdraw from DOGE? (January 20, 2025)
Cutting nearly 80,000 jobs from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would significantly impact the quality and availability of services for veterans. With fewer staff, veterans could experience longer wait times for medical care, benefits, and housing assistance. The remaining employees would face heavier workloads, possibly leading to burnout and decreased efficiency. This could result in delays for disability claims, education benefits, and other services.
Public backlash from veterans’ groups and advocacy organizations would likely occur, as such cuts could undermine the VA’s ability to adequately support those who have served in the military.
Reportedly, the VA’s chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, told top-level officials at the agency Tuesday that it had an objective to cut enough employees to return to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000.
But it doesn’t stop there, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be seeing major layoffs as well. This decision, however, may please both the Democrats and the Republicans.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a U.S. government agency responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing tax laws. Reportedly, the IRS is drafting plans to cut its workforce by as much as half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts, according to two people familiar with the situation.
READ: DOGE leaders Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy target 94% of remote federal workers (December 9, 2024)
Reportedly, the federal tax collector employs roughly 90,000 workers total across the United States, according to the latest IRS data. People of color make up to 56% of the IRS workforce, and women represent 65%.
Two major federal departments are being affected this week with mass layoffs among others. This is in efforts to achieve government efficiency, an initiative led by Elon Musk under Trump’s presidency. Reports show that more than 221,000 jobs overall were lost in the first two months of 2025. If this continues, forecasts predict that job losses fueled by DOGE could total 500,000 by the end of the year, per Bloomberg.