The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is set to cut about 80,000 jobs as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce. While the Oklahoma Department of Veteran’s Affairs has stated that their services will not be affected by these cuts and are actually looking to hire more people, it remains unclear if Oklahoma’s VA medical centers will see job reductions. VA Secretary Doug Collins reassured that the layoffs will not impact healthcare benefits for veterans and their beneficiaries.
The VA plans to reduce their workforce to pre-pandemic levels of under 400,000 positions, which raises concerns about the delivery of vital healthcare services. The expansion of the VA under the Biden administration was aimed at providing staffing for the 2022 PACT Act, which offers healthcare to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. Opponents of the cuts argue that the impacts on healthcare logistics are not clear.
Despite the reassurances from VA officials, many are worried about the potential effects of these job cuts on veterans’ access to healthcare and benefits. News 9 attempted to contact Oklahoma lawmakers in Washington D.C. for comments on the layoffs but did not receive a response by the deadline. The situation remains uncertain as the VA moves forward with its plans for staff reductions.
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