NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee veterans are expressing growing concerns over a proposal by the Trump Administration to lay off 80,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The move, part of broader efforts to reshape the federal workforce, has sparked outrage among veterans who worry it will further exacerbate long-standing issues within the VA.
An internal memo obtained by the Associated Press outlined the planned cuts, which veterans say will only deepen the challenges they face in accessing services. One of the most vocal critics, Air Force veteran Marty Ness-White, who served in the Gulf War, described the current state of veterans’ services as already inadequate. As a veterans’ advocate with Vet to Vet Middle Tennessee, she has witnessed firsthand the struggles veterans endure when seeking the benefits they are entitled to.
“The veterans’ services for us were bad enough as it was,” Ness-White said. “Their first job feels like to say no to all claims.” She emphasized that reducing the number of VA employees would be a grave mistake, as veterans continue to fight for benefits related to service-connected injuries and conditions. Some veterans, she noted, have spent years trying to secure coverage for ailments sustained during their service.
Ness-White argued that the government should be increasing the number of VA employees and offices to better meet the needs of veterans. “By eliminating even more of the people at the VA, it’s just detrimental to those who are still fighting,” she added. “I know people who have been fighting for six years to get the coverage they deserve.”
Despite these concerns, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has indicated that while the department will downsize, the agency will continue to hire for “open mission-critical” positions. Collins later confirmed the planned layoffs in a video posted on social media, stating that the goal is to reduce the VA’s workforce by 15%.
Many veterans, some of whom spoke to News 2 anonymously out of fear of retaliation, echoed Ness-White’s sentiment, calling for an expansion of services, not a reduction in personnel. A common complaint among veterans is the time it takes to receive their benefits, with many expressing frustration over bureaucratic delays. Some believe that a more efficient process and greater staffing at local VA offices would alleviate some of these issues.
“Allocate enough offices and officers at those locations to serve the amount of veterans in the community and to make it so it isn’t a battle to get what they should be getting,” Ness-White said.
The proposed layoffs have also drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Senator Jerry Moran, Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, voiced concerns about the cuts, calling for reform in a more balanced manner. “The VA is in need of reform, but current efforts to downsize the department and increase efficiency must be done in a more responsible manner,” Moran said in a post on social media.
With veterans continuing to face delays in accessing critical services, the proposal to reduce the VA workforce has prompted a wider debate about how best to address the needs of those who have served in the military. While some advocate for reform, the current proposal raises fears that further reductions in VA staffing could undermine efforts to provide timely and adequate care for the nation’s veterans.
