Veterans cuts spark GOP backlash on Capitol Hill

As President Donald Trump and Elon Musk lay waste to scores of federal programs and the careers of thousands of government workers, Republicans on Capitol Hill have mostly kept their objections to themselves — with one big exception.

Military veterans have been disproportionately affected by the administration’s early cuts, and GOP lawmakers have unleashed a rare tide of public pushback. That reached a crescendo this week as the Trump administration raises the possibility of large-scale dismissals of Department of Veterans Affairs employees.

Mass firings at the VA began weeks ago, spurring a flurry of panicked calls from GOP lawmakers to the White House. But a new memo outlines the potential for 80,000 more firings across a roughly 480,000-person department, according to an internal memo obtained by POLITICO.

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Chair Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said in a statement that while the massive department is “in need of reform,” efforts to downsize “must be done in a more responsible manner,” after the AP first reported the 80,000 figure Wednesday. Moran, who has been in close contact with VA Secretary Doug Collins and White House staff about personnel issues for weeks, added in an interview Thursday that lawmakers “need information” and that the numbers need to be “justifiable.”

Leaving a lunch meeting with Musk Wednesday where the VA cuts came up, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) voiced his irritation to reporters and suggested Trump’s veterans chief needed to get a better handle on his department.

“It's political malpractice not to consult Congress if that's what you intend to do,” Graham said. “Maybe you've got a good reason to do it. I like Doug Collins — he's a great guy. But we don't need to be reading memos in the paper about 20 percent cut at the VA."

Even before the VA memo became public, there was heartburn about how the cuts undertaken by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative might impact the country’s roughly 18 million veterans.

Federal job cuts generally affect veterans more profoundly, since they are given preference in government hiring. The provision of health care and other services is directly threatened by cuts to the VA, and those impacts have been a frequent concern at the spate of town hall protests GOP lawmakers have encountered in recent weeks.

There are signs the message has gotten through. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that senators raised the issue of VA cuts directly with Musk during the lunch meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday.

“I'm hoping there will be some clarification on that issue soon," Thune told a small group of reporters.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is seen during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol, March 4, 2025.

Sen. John Barrasso, Thune’s No. 2, said that while they didn’t get confirmation of the VA cuts, Republicans stressed to Musk that Collins needs to be involved, with “the concern being that we want to make sure that veterans get the care that they need.”

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, who has recently been in contact with Musk, said she’s also coordinating with Moran as he tries to get answers.

“We have an obligation to our veterans, and these mass firings undermine that obligation,” Collins told reporters.

Democrats, who have been searching for a political foothold as they try to fight back against DOGE, blasted the proposed VA cuts. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “a betrayal of our promise to our service members” that will spark “longer wait times, fewer appointments, less health care service for our veterans.”

Across the Capitol, the more DOGE-friendly House GOP is more willing to give the administration leeway on efforts to slash the size of the federal workforce. But even GOP leaders who are normally quick to praise Musk’s slash-and-burn operation are sensitive about the VA and impacts on veterans.

“We’re going to talk to the secretary to see what their needs are,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). “You had, in a lot of these departments, a large increase during COVID, some of which may have been needed but a lot of which wasn't justified.

“So you need to sort through what actually helps the veterans versus what actually takes money away from veterans benefits,” Scalise added.

Rep. Michael McCaul said in an interview Thursday he needed to study the VA cuts in more detail. But he had a visceral reaction when informed of the level of workforce cuts in the memo.

“Jeez,” McCaul said, his eyes widening.

“I worry because our veterans are hurting after Afghanistan; PTSD has gone way up,” McCaul added. “Suicide rates gone way up, and morale has gone way down. So I worry in the sense that I don't want that to be a signal that we don't care about our veterans.”

Some House Republicans, including some with a high number of veterans in their districts who get their care from the VA, offered measured support.

“I trust the president,” said Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), adding “there are a lot of complaints” about the VA. Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) added that he had faith in Collins to make cuts that "create efficiencies and actually improve care" at VA.

But Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) — a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee whose state includes large numbers of federal workers and veterans — warned the job cuts would have real impacts on his constituents.

"I think everybody looks at it and says, 'Let's get the federal government to the right size that's sustainable.' Companies do that all the time," Wittman said. "But I also want to be mindful that these employees are really good people. They work hard, and I want to make sure we keep in mind the impact that it has on them."

Ben Leonard, Connor O’Brien and Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.

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