(NewsNation) — The potential scale of the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to shrink the U.S. federal government could become clearer Thursday, the deadline for government agencies to submit plans for a second wave of mass layoffs and to slash their budgets.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 11 directing all agencies to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force,” using a legal term commonly referred to as RIF to denote mass layoffs.
Significant reductions are expected at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon, raising concerns about the impact on vital services.
Veterans will not suffer: VA secretary
The Trump administration is calling for an “aggressive reorganization” of the VA, aiming to cut 80,000 jobs and reduce the department’s staffing levels to those of 2019.
Since January, the Trump administration has laid off nearly 2,400 probationary workers.
Currently, the VA employs 480,000 people, with about a quarter of its workforce being veterans.
The 80,000 proposed job cuts would represent more than 15% of the VA workforce, affecting roles that manage medical supplies, appointments and transportation for patients, according to the department.
The VA conducts clinical trials and research on war-related injuries, such as spinal and brain trauma. Much of this research is expected to be halted. According to the National Association of Veterans Research and Education, scientists are considering possibly moving clinical trials to civilian institutions, meaning veterans could lose priority in these studies.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., criticized the cuts, emphasizing that they would hurt veterans.
“Elon Musk is not making government more efficient; he’s making it nonexistent,” he said. “When he cuts tens of thousands of employees from the VA, people like me who go to the VA for our health care as a veteran, we’re going to get hurt. We’re going to wait longer for appointments. We’re going to go back to the days when veterans were dying on waiting lists.”
However, VA Secretary Doug Collins insists that veterans will not suffer from the layoffs, emphasizing that the department’s mission is to serve veterans, not provide jobs. Collins also pointed out that the VA is currently reviewing 90,000 contracts worth $67 billion and has already saved nearly $900 million.
DOGE found $80M in ‘wasteful spending’: Department of Defense
At the Department of Defense, about 5,400 civilian probationary workers have been laid off, and a hiring freeze is in place to reduce the workforce by 5 to 8%.
The DOD currently employs 900,000 civilians, and it has the largest military budget in the world at $968 billion.
According to the department, DOGE has already found $80 million in “wasteful spending.”
“Look at some of the initial things that we found — in the Air Force, $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s spokesperson, said in an X post regarding DOGE findings at the DOD.
There are reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to cut 8% to 10% of generals and admirals in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, most of whom will be eligible for retirement.
NewsNation reached out to the Pentagon for comment, but no one has responded.
So far, at least five former defense secretaries have denounced the military firings as “reckless.”