The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has officially changed their original plan to lay off more than 80,000 employees.
Instead, the agency now plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 30,000 positions through attrition and retirements—a partial victory for federal workers and the veterans they serve.
The original DOGE proposal would have slashed roughly 15% of the VA workforce, triggering layoffs that could have devastated the agency’s ability to deliver care and services to millions of veterans. But sustained public and political pressure – including direct action and advocacy from union members – forced a significant change of course.
“This is a clear case where collective action made a difference,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley said. “The VA’s original plan would have been catastrophic. Because we raised our voices—workers, veterans, lawmakers, and community leaders—the agency pulled back. That’s a major victory. But we’re not out of the woods yet. These 30,000 cuts, even through attrition, still risk degrading services if not handled responsibly.”
With agencies in a chaotic state due to Trump policies, AFGE locals representing VA employees have been fielding member concerns for months.AFGE opposed the initial DOGE cuts because of the threat they posed to veterans’ health care, benefits, and support services.
“Our fight wasn’t just about jobs—it was about what those jobs mean for our veterans,” Kelley said. “We’re relieved that the most extreme elements of this plan have been abandoned. But we will be watching closely to see what these remaining cuts mean on the ground.”
President Kelley also called on other federal agencies considering or currently implementing similar DOGE-related cuts to take note of the VA’s reversal.
“This shows that the people’s voice still matters. If the VA can reverse course, so can others,” he said. “But more importantly, they should pause and consider the real-world impacts before slashing jobs in the first place.”
