Veterans Affairs to Lay Off 80,000 Workers, Raising Fears Over Veteran Care

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to lay off as many as 80,000 employees this year, raising significant concerns about the potential effects on veteran healthcare and benefits. The job cuts, part of a larger federal downsizing initiative, account for around 15% of the VA’s workforce and may result in service delays for millions of veterans.

Benny Guerrero, Junior Vice Commander of the Department of Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to express concerns regarding the layoffs. “We paid tribute to our service.” We engaged in our battles. “We returned, and now we require healthcare,” Guerrero stated. “The 18 million veterans are entitled to the benefits that were promised to them.”

Although the precise number of impacted workers in Lubbock is still unknown, local veteran organizations are concerned that the layoffs will trigger a ripple effect, diminishing staff availability and causing care delays. Guerrero advised lawmakers to proceed cautiously, stating, “Don’t take the chainsaw to whatever it is you’re doing—use a scalpel.”

VA Secretary Doug Collins stood by the decision, asserting, “We’ll be making major changes.” Embrace it. The current challenge facing the VA is that its bureaucratic processes and inefficiencies hinder customer convenience and the service provided to veterans.

Veterans like Guerrero caution that cutting the VA’s workforce may impose extra challenges on families, compelling them to take on caregiving roles without adequate assistance. “By cutting VA benefits, you’re not merely eliminating a job—you’re removing essential care that a veteran depends on,” he stated.

Veteran organizations are persistently advancing their advocacy initiatives nationally and locally. They shared that they have supporters in D.C., and we have supporters here in Lubbock who are working on their behalf.

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