About 30% of all federal employees have served in the military, so the sweeping federal cuts being carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration have had a particularly significant impact on veterans.
In an interview with WTOP on Wednesday, U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins defended the cuts, echoing language often used by the Trump administration. He argued the cuts are needed to reduce unnecessary spending and improve government efficiency.
“Some of them have been laid off, I grant you that,” Collins said, referring to veterans who have lost their jobs. He acknowledged that those affected are in a “difficult” position, but encouraged them to explore opportunities in the private sector.
“You have to make adjustments, and you have to make changes,” Collins said, adding it’s “an opportunity to find a different focus, a different career.”
“There are people out there who need people to work in high-performing jobs,” he continued. “They need high performers. Veterans are high performers. They’re some of the best people that I know.”
In an interview with WTOP, U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins defended the federal cuts that could lead to 80,000 VA employees being laid off. Veterans make up more than 25% of the VA workforce. @WTOP pic.twitter.com/FnhV6pM3xL
— Nick Iannelli (@NickWTOP) March 20, 2025
Collins further defended the cuts by saying federal agencies such as the VA are not “employment services,” but service organizations.
The Department of Veterans Affairs itself is planning to cut about 15% of its workforce, Collins confirmed. However, he said officials were still working on that number and determining where exactly the cuts would occur.
Last year, the VA experienced its highest-ever service levels, reaching over 9 million enrollees and delivering more than 127.5 million health care appointments, according to the agency’s figures. Veterans make up more than 25% of the VA’s workforce.
“I care about all veterans, no matter where they’re employed or who’s employing them,” Collins said, stressing that veterans who are laid off do not lose benefits they received for serving their country.
“The veteran has lost no benefit from their services that they’ve earned simply because they’re no longer employed by the federal government,” he said. “They still have those benefits that they’ve already earned.”
Veterans have been speaking out against the cuts at the VA that, so far, have included a few thousand employees and hundreds of contracts.
But, Collins said, the goal of VA cuts would be to reduce bureaucracy, specifically targeting career employees and the management structure.
Asked whether the cuts would increase wait times for veterans seeking medical care, Collins said while the department’s budget has increased in recent years, wait times have gone up.
Ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement earlier this month the Trump administration “has launched an all-out assault” against progress the VA has made in expanding its services as the number of covered veterans grows.
“Their plan prioritizes private sector profits over veterans’ care, balancing the budget on the backs of those who served. It’s a shameful betrayal, and veterans will pay the price for their unforgivable corruption, incompetence, and immorality,” Blumenthal wrote.
Collins vowed the department would not abandon veterans who’ve been laid off.
“We’re always going to be there to help them find jobs, get the counseling, get their health care, get whatever they need as we go through this change,” Collins said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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