Mass layoffs at Veterans' Affairs will begin early as June, memo says

The Department of Veterans Affairs volition statesman wide layoffs astatine the politically delicate bureau arsenic aboriginal arsenic June, according to a memo reviewed by Reuters.

The memo, which is dated March 6, directs the department's quality resources squad to statesman reviewing the agency's operations with an oculus toward firing civilian servants. It said it expects the reappraisal to beryllium done by June, aft which "VA volition initiate Department-wide RIF actions," utilizing an acronym for "reduction successful force."

In a effect to a petition for comment, the VA sent Reuters a nexus to VA Secretary Doug Collins' caller sentiment portion successful The Hill successful which helium defended the cuts arsenic "thorough and thoughtful."

Veterans groups, Democrats, and immoderate Republicans person already voiced interest implicit the planned reductions astatine the department, which is seeking to chopped much than 80,000 workers from the agency.

The standard of the layoffs astatine the VA is greater than projected cuts astatine different agencies and volition deed a section that looks aft a radical that typically garners wide bipartisan enactment successful the U.S., its subject veterans.

Patty Murray of Washington, the apical Democrat connected the Senate Appropriations Committee, said past week that the occupation cuts marked an escalation of a "full-scale, no-holds-barred battle connected veterans" by President Donald Trump that would enactment veterans' wellness benefits successful "grave danger."

Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who said helium learned of the cuts from the media, called it "political malpractice" not to consult Congress astir the measures.

The cuts are portion of Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk's efforts to dramatically slash the size of the national government.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Phil Stewart; Writing by Raphael Satter; editing by Bill Berkrot)

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: Layoffs astatine VA volition statesman aboriginal arsenic June; DOGE cuts continue